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LOG OF MY MOTOR 



Digitized by the Internet Archive 
in 2011 with funding from 
The Library of Congress 



http://www.archive.org/details/logofmymotorOOvand 



LOG 

OF 

MY MOTOR 



BY 



W. K. VANDERBILT, Jr. 



NEW YORK 

PRIVATELY PRINTED 
1912 



Tx> 



copybight, 1911 
By W. K. Vanderbilt, Jr. 



THE UNIVERSITY PRESS, CAMBRIDGE, U.S.A. 



CCI.A3050S5 



FOREWORD 



HIS book is a modest attempt to collect 
between two covers the records of the more 
important trips made in Europe by the 
author, during the past four years. 

It contains such information as guide 

books lack, describing conditions along the various routes as 
they now exist, touching lightly on the history of the more 
important towns. It is illustrated from photographs taken 
en route. 




[v] 



CONTENTS 



TRIP, 1908 Page 

LlVEKPOOl, TO LoNDOX 3 

London to Frankfurt 7 

Through the Austrian Tyrols to Lucerne and Aix-i.es- 

Bains 19 

Aix-les-Bains to Monte Carlo 39 

Monte Carlo to Lyons . . . .' 48 

TRIP THROUGH SPAIN, March 21-Apiil 1, 1909 .... 57 

TOUR THROUGH EUROPE, December 15, 1909-Januarv 

22, 1910 103 

TRIP THROUGH SPAIN AND PORTUGAL, February 11- 

March 15, 1911 153 



[vii] 



>v 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 



The Specially Built 35-H. P. Renault Car 2 

The 45-H. P. Mercedes and the 35-H. P. Renault 5 

A Good Example of German Town Architecture — Ulm ..... 6 

Mr. W. K. Vanderbilt, Jr., and Mr. William Payne 9 

Castle of King of Bavaria, near Fussen 13 

The Foot-hills of the Austrian Tyrol 17 

Another View of the Foot-hills of the Austrian Tybol 18 

Entrance to the Town of Mumurbigen 21 

Cathedral at Ulm 22 

Weissen See, near Fussen 25 

Another View of the Foot-hills op the Austrian Tyrol 26 

Ablberg Pass — The Renault Car 29 

A Swiss Village — The Renault Cab 30 

Near Lichtensteig, Switzerland 33 

The River Rhone, Just West of Aix-les-Bains 34 

Scenery in Switzerland 37 

The Climb op the Col du Chat, near Aix-les-Bains 38 

The Road between Gap and Digne 41 

The Hotel des Trois Rois in the Village op Seyne 45 

Another View of the Hotel des Trois Rois 46 

Grasse 49 

The Country near Grasse 50 

View along the Riviera. A Glimpse of the Mediterranean ... 53 

Roman Arch at the Entrance to the Town op Orange 54 

Map op 1909 Trip through Spain 56 

The 55-H. P., 1909 Mercedes, used on Trip through Spain .... 59 

Portion op Wall Subrounding Laguardia 60 

Market Day in Tolosa 61 

Street in a Village op Northern Spain 62 

Old Spanish Church, Tolosa 65 

Types of Spanish Peasants, Tolosa 66 

Stream Crossing the Highway and a Shepherd 69 

Types of Spanish Peasants in this Section 70 

[ix] 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

Caravan on the Road to Guadalajara 73 

Desert between Tudela and Zaeagoza 74 

View froji the Summit of the Sierra de la Muela 77 

View from the Summit of the Sierra de la Virgen 78 

Bull Fight in Madrid. Sunday, March 28, 1909 81 

Bull Fight in Madrid. Sunday, March 28, 1909 82 

Bull Fight in Madrid. Sunday, March 28, 1909 83 

Bull Fight in Madrid. Sunday, March 28, 1909 84 

The Town Square. Badajoz '. 87 

Fertile Plains between Badajoz and Los Santos 88 

Crossing the Sierra de Tudia 91 

Crossing the Sierra de Tudia 92 

Type of Villages between Los Santos and Seville 95 

Type of Villages between Utrera and Jerez de la Frontera . . 96 

Cathedral at Seville 99 

Government Building, Seville 100 

Main Street of Utrera 101 

ViLLAFRANCA ShOWING DRAINING DiTCH AND CaCTUS HeDGES . . . 102 

Map of Tour through Europe in 1909 104 

Views in Amsterdam 113 

Views near Rotterdam 114 

Town Hall. Veek 117 

Typical Hungarian Village 123 

Town Square. Feuchtewangen 124 

Street in Rothenbeeg 127 

Small Farm House near Munich 128 

Wasserburg 131 

Road between Vienna and Budapest 132 

Castle at Harbueg-LSchwaben 135 

Budapest 139 

Small Village on the Danube, 60 Kilometers from Budapest . . . 140 

A Scene in Venice from the Grand Canal 143 

A Scene in Venice from the Grand Canal 144 

Road Skirting the Mediterranean between Genoa and Monte Carlo 147 

Street Scene in Village on Road between Genoa and Monte Carlo . 148 

Map op Tour through Spain and Portugal 154 

Canal du Midi 157 

Car used on Trip 158 

Planter's Home and Vineyards Surrounding it 159 

Narbonne 160 

In the Pyrenees, just before Reaching the Spanish Frontier . , . 163 

In the Pyrenees, just before Reaching the Spanish Frontier . . . 164 

Fort de Salses, 15 Kilometers from Perpignan 167 

Old Castle, about 20 Kilometers from Barcelona 168 

Road near Figueras 169 

Gerona. From the Bridge over the River Ter 170 

Crossing the Fluvia River 173 



[x] 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

View of Country 20 Kilometers from Barcelona 173 

Road and Scenery 30 Kilometers from Barcelona 174 

Village op Itafulla, near Tarragona 174 

Morella Mountains, 29 Kilometers from Barcelona 175 

View of Village of Villanueva. between Barcelona and Tarragona 176 

Roman Arch on Road between Barcelona and Tarragona .... 179 

Old Roman Relic on Road to Tarragona 180 

Street in Tarragona 181 

Church at Benicarlo 182 

Old Lady. Taken near Castellon 185 

Near Castellon. View from Top of Mountain 186 

Road-keeper's House near Castellon 187 

Two Men and a Boy. Taken near the Summit of the Mountain at 

Castellon 188 

Picking Oranges, near Valencia 188 

Old Fortifications Surrounding the Town of Sagunto 191 

Monastery just outside of Valencia 192 

Where the Road and Railroad Run Close to Each Other .... 193 

Church .\t Villareal 193 

Hotel in Tarragona 194 

Road Traversed after Leaving Guadix 194 

Condition of Road Entering Valencia 197 

Orange Groves near Valencia 198 

Some Fine Orange Trees 199 

View in Valenci--^. 200 

View in Valencia 203 

Market at Valencia 204 

Market at Valencia 205 

One of the Finest Churches in Valencia 206 

On the Road to Valencia 209 

Climbing the Pass on the Road to Alcoy 210 

View of Plain, on the Road to Alcoy 211 

Descent during Afternoon's Run 212 

Plain Crossed during Afternoon's Run 215 

CuLLAR DE Baza 216 

Cullar de Baza 217 

CuLLAR de Baza 218 

"Top of the World " — Summit of Pass between Guadix and Granada 221 

The Car at the Spot Where We Lunched 222 

Crossing a Dry River-bed after Leaving Guadix 223 

Street Scene in a Typical Village of Southern Spain 224 

View .\t Granada 227 

The Alhambra at Granada 228 

Walls of the Alhambra, Granada 229 

Palace of Charles V, Showing Easterly Facade 230 

That Part of Granad.a. Situated on the Hill 233 

Approach to a Private Villa at Granada 234 



[Xi] 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

Phivate Garden at Granada 235 

Village just outside of Granada 236 

Monastery at Granada 239 

Old Man. Photographed on the Road to Cordoba, near Cabra . 240 

Priego 241 

Street Life and Typical Houses, Priego 242 

Fountain at Cordoba 243 

Cathedral at Cordoba 244 

Country 30 Kilometers South of Cordoba 245 

View of Country. Stork on Farther Side of Pond 246 

La Carlota 249 

A Street in Cordoba 250 

The Cathedral at Seville 251 

The Cathedral at Seville 252 

The Alcazar Gardens, Seville 253 

W. K. v., Jr., in the Alcazar at Seville 254 

A House in Seville 257 

Roman Ruins near Seville 258 

Roman Ruins near Seville 259 

Stork's Nest on Dome of Cathedral at Frejenal 260 

Cemetery near Frejenal 263 

A Village near Estremoz 264 

On the Road to Badajoz, near Seville 265 

Cathedral at Badajoz 266 

Scenery near Elvas 269 

Roman Relics at Elvas 270 

Type of Village near Elvas 271 

Some Peasants 272 

Fine Example of Wall Architecture 275 

Traveler on his Mule 276 

On the Way to Coimbra 279 

COIMBRA 280 

Hotel Bussaco 281 

Hotel Bussaco from the Summit of the Mountain behind the Hotel . 282 

View from Hotel Bussaco 285 

Bussaco. Part op the Monastery 286 

On the Road to Porto 287 

Village Scene on the Road to Porto 288 

Woman and Two Young Girls. Photographed on the Road to Porto 291 

Two Fine Heads 292 

Bridge Crossed just before Entering the Tovstst of Porto .... 293 

Fishermen's Quarters. Vigo 294 

Waterfront at Vigo, Showing Custom House and Harbor Facilities 297 

Type op Houses at Vigo 298 

Street Scene. Vigo 299 

One of the Squares. Vigo 300 

Bridge near Tuy 303 

[Xii] 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

Some of the Inhabitants of Vigo 304 

Street Scene in Vigo 305 

Port of Vigo 306 

Country near Santiago 309 

Laredo. Between Santunder and Bilbao 317 

Elgdibar, near Deva, on the way to San Sebastian 323 

Bayonne 327 

Cathedral in Bayonne 328 

The Square op a French Village on the Road to Bordeaux ... 331 
Twenty Kilometers from Bordeaux. The River Dordogne in the 

Distance 322 



[ xiii ] 



TRIP 



LIVERPOOL TO LONDON 

LONDON TO PARIS 
PARIS TO FRANKFURT 

THROUGH THE AUSTRIAN TYROLS 
TO LUCERNE AND AIX-LES-BAINS 

AIX-LES-BAINS TO MONTE CARLO 

MONTE CARLO TO LYONS 

1908 



LIVERPOOL TO LONDON 



JUNE 30, 1908 




E arrived at Liverpool at 10 o'clock this morn- 
ing, on board the new turbine steamer 
"Mauretania." As it was our intention to 
motor to London, our first thought on leav- 
ing the ship was to proceed to the hotel for 
lunch. After partaking of a good meal, we sought the 
garage, where my specially built 35-H. P. Renault car 
awaited our arrival. 

It took some time to procure the necessary police license, 
but by 1.45 p. m. we were under way for London. 

On leaving Liverpool, it is necessary to ferry across the 
Mersey River, the time required for the journey being 15 
minutes, but by 2.20 we had reached Chester, the first large 
town, 18 miles distant. The country in the neighborhood 
of Liverpool is flat and uninteresting. The road surface wfes 
good, and had been tarred. There was very little traffic 
encountered, but bicyclists swarmed all over the highway 
like bees. 

Nantwich, Stone and Stafford were reached in due time. 
At the latter place, we punctured a tire. The clock pointed 
to 4.10 when repairs were begun, but 15 minutes later we 
were once more under way, the detachable rims making the 
repair operation very easy. 

[3] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

The country now began to assume a hilly aspect, and 
many fine estates and beautiful trees were to be seen on 
all sides. The villages are very picturesque, and if we only 
had had time, naany a good picture could have been taken. 

Lichfield, 84.5 miles from Liverpool, was reached at 4.45 
p. M. Here we stopped at the George Hotel for tea. We 
also filled up with gasoline and oil, and at 5.05 were once 
again on our way. Coventry, Daventry and Stratford, all 
interesting towns, were passed in rapid succession. 

At 8.00 p. M., we entered the small town of Dunstable, dis- 
tant 172.5 miles from Liverpool, and while passing through 
the main street, punctured another rear tire. Repairs were 
made, and at the same time more gasoline and oil taken on 
board. Darkness rapidly coming on, we lit the lamps. 

Dunstable was left behind at 8.30 and we passed through 
St. x\lbans and Barnet. Just before reaching St. Albans we 
punctured another rear tire, and owing to having used up 
our extra supply, we were compelled to run the remain- 
ing 30 miles on the rim. Nevertheless, 10.10 p. m. found us 
safe and sound at the Hotel Ritz, London, having covered 
the distance of 206.9 miles from Liverpool in 7 hours and 
25 minutes. 

The surface of the road along the entire distance was 
found to be perfect and free from dust, owing to the layer 
of tar which had been applied. The car worked to perfec- 
tion, and apart from the three punctures, we experienced no 
mishaps. Speed was not considered, and we never exceeded 
45 miles an hour. 

The cyclometer on leaving Liverpool stood at 1,631 miles. 

The weather conditions were fine. 



[4] 




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LONDON TO PARIS 

JULY 2, 1908 




FINE morning. Left for Paris at 7.55 A. m. 
Owing to the early hour, there was httle 
congestion in the streets, and Elthani was 
reached by 8.30. At this point the city 
is left behind. Farninghani and Wrothani 
were passed in rapid succession, Maidstone loonring up at 
9.15. 

Lenham, Charing, Ashford, Hythe and Sandgate were all 
passed through without mishap. Folkstone was reached by 
10.15. Distance from Hotel Ritz, 73.2 miles. Roads in 
perfect condition, and tarred the entire distance. 

The country is superb, and less traffic was encountered 
on the highways in this section of England than we met in 
the north. There were several police traps on the route, 
but we were not hindered in our progress. 

We had no mishaps to the car, and after the gasoline had 
been emptied from the tank, the car was placed on the 
steamer due to sail at 12 o'clock for Boulogne. A smooth 
crossing — somewhat longer than usual, owing to a fog, 
— was the cause of our not docking before 1.30 p. m. 
"While the car was being unloaded we lunched at the rail- 
way station, so that it was 3.00 p. m. before we got under 
way for Paris. 

[7] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

About 20 miles from Boulogne a crow flying across the 
road was struck and killed. Montreuil was reached at 3.30. 
Here we stopped to fill our tanks with gasoline and oil. At 
3.40 we were under way again. Abbeville, 50 miles from 
Boulogne, was reached at 4.20. Airaines, 62.6 miles, at 4.45, 
and Poix, 77.5 miles, at 5.05. At the latter place we stopped 
for 25 minutes to replenish our gasoline and oil tanks, and 
at the same time we bought some pie and fruit for our- 
selves. We were again under way by 5.30. 

At 7.15, just before reaching Maison Laflfitte, while run- 
ning at full speed on a curve, a front tire was punctured. 
The shoe flew off, but no jar or swerve to the car was notice- 
able. Ten minutes later, or at 7.25, the change having 
been made, we were again on the road, reaching the Hotel 
Ritz at 7.50 p. m. 

Distance, 157.7 miles from Boulogne. The cyclometer 
registered 1,995.3 miles. 

We found the roads in superb condition, tar being ap- 
plied in numerous places. The weather favored us the 
entire day, and the run proved most enjoyable. 

Distance from London to Paris, 230.9 miles, covered in 
6 hours and 3 minutes. 

Our last run from London to Paris on March 14, 1906, 
was in a 45-H. P. landaulet Mors car. We followed the 
same route, and the total distance, 365 kilometers, was 
covered in 8 hours and 23 minutes. 

The actual distance, according to the maps, from London to 
Paris, is 228 miles (365 kilometers). Our cyclometer reading 
showed the distance that we had run, from hotel to hotel, 
as 230.9 miles. This extra 2.9 miles can be considered as the 
distance from the gates of Paris to the Hotel Ritz, and from 
the Hotel Ritz in London to Westminster Abbey. 

The above figures prove the accuracy of the cyclometer I 
am using. 

[8] 




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LOG OF MY MOTOR 

TUESDAY, JULY 21, 1908 

Left London this morning by train for Paris, arriving at 
my destination at 5.00 p. M. 

As I had promised to be in Frankfnrt on Wednesday 
evening, I calculated it would be necessary to leave Paris 
to-night, and therefore 6.20 found us in the 35-H. P. Renault 
car, en route for Chalons-sur-Marne. 

We left the eastern extremity of Paris at 7.00 p. m., took 
the road to Noisy and Lagny, and reached the latter town 
at 7.25. This route avoids the cobble stones that are found 
on the Route National between Paris and Meaux, and 
although narrow, has been lately tarred, and was in splen- 
did condition the entire way. 

From Lagny we shaped our course for Meaux and here 
rejoined the Route National. 

Montmirail, 113 kilometers from Paris, hove in sight at 
8.10 p. M. Here we stopped, at the Hotel Vertgallant, for 
dinner. Food poor, and hotel dirty. 

After dinner the lights being lit and tanks replenished with 
gasoline and oil, we left at 9.00 p. M. for Chalons, 63 kilo- 
meters distant. 

One of France's finest highways was now under us. At 
Thebie we punctured a rear tire, but with the help of one 
of the side lamps, the change was made in 8 minutes, 
Chalons being reached at 9.55 p. M. A very quick run, 
considering it was night, the 63 kilometers being covered in 
55 minutes. 

The day's run was 176 kilometers, in 2 hours and 38 
minutes. 

Stopped for the night at Hotel Haute-Mere-Dieu, where 
we were made comfortable, and were recompensed the next 
morning for any inconvenience that we suffered by the bill 
amoxuiting but to 15 francs, which included charges for two 

[11] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

bedrooms, breakfast, and all other items of expense for auto- 
mobile, etc., something quite extraordinary nowadays where 
automobile travel is frequent. 



WEDNESDAY, JULY 22, 1908 

On descending from our rooms at the hotel, we found we 
had a fine day before us for our run to Frankfurt. Chalons 
was left behind at 9.40 a. m. St. Menehould was reached at 
10.05, distance 41 kilometers. The road was uninteresting 
but in fine shape. The cyclometer at this point stood at 
2,540.7 miles. Distance from Hotel Ritz, 135 miles. 

We filled the tanks with gasoline and oil, and at 10.15 
were under way again, arriving at Verdun at 11.00 a. m. 
The road between St. Menehould and Verdun is rather 
hilly, and crosses the railroad at numerous points, and as 
it is also full of turns, high speed could not be attained 
in this section. Distance, St. Menehould to Verdun, 42 
kilometers. 

Verdun is a pretty little town, the streets of which are 
always crowded. It is well fortified, and is one of France's 
most strongly garrisoned towns bordering the German 
frontier. 

We passed the Hotel des Trois Morts, which looked as 
dirty as ever, and emerged a few minutes afterwards at the 
eastern end of the town. Took the road to Etain, 20 kilo- 
meters from Verdun, and then followed the road to Chalons, 
20 kilometers distant. Between the two latter places are 
situated the French and German douanes. We arrived at 
the French douane at 11.20. Our papers being correct, we 
were delayed but five minutes. 

The German frontier was reached at 11.45. It is quite a 
problem to enter this country nowadays. In years gone 
by, all that was necessary for the automobilist was to salute 

[12] 




CASTLE OF KING OF BAVARIA, NEAR FUSSEN 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

the officer, and pass on. Now we were loaded up with a 
trunkful of documents. All had to be verified, stamped 
and punched, and my certificate as a driver also came in 
for its share of inscriptions. At last, after receiving number 
8,837 and other papers, we were allowed to proceed at 12.05, 
and arrived at Metz, over a very picturesque, well-fortified 
route, at 12.25. 

Metz, as usual, was crowded, and the German officers 
and troops presented a great contrast to those we had 
just left behind on French soil. We stopped for lunch at 
the Grand Hotel, which had been entirely renovated, and 
now presented a most respectable appearance. During our 
morning's run of 2 hours and 10 minutes we had covered 
151 kilometers. 

Gasoline, water and oil were put in the car, and at 3.05, 
German time, we were once more on the way for Frank- 
furt. Before leaving, we examined the cyclometer, and 
found that we were 68 miles from St. Menehould, or 203 
miles from the Hotel Ritz in Paris. 

The following is the route we took to Frankfurt: 

Kil. 

Metz to Fouligny 25 

Fouligny to St. Avoid 17 

St. Avoid to Sarrebruck 28 

Sarrebruck to Homburg 29 

Homburg to Landstuhl 19 

Landstuhl to Kaiserlautern 16 

Kaiserlautern to Grunstadtz 35 

Grunstadtz to Worms 17 

Worms to Bensheim 21 

Bensheim to Darmstadt 23 

Darmstadt to Frankfurt 28 

Total 258 

[15] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

We found the road the entire distance in good condition; 
and the country, as far as Worms, which we reached at 7.30, 
picturesque. The villages are most attractive and clean. 

From Worms, the route lay along the valley of the River 
Rhine. After crossing a very imposing bridge, we entered 
a flat, uninteresting country. Bensheim was reached by 
8.00 p. M. Distance from Metz, 137 miles. Stopped for 
gasoline, and changed one of the rear tires which we had 
punctured, causing a delay of 6 minutes. The road north 
of Bensheim was being repaired and caused us considerable 
trouble and delay in finding a route circumventing this 
section. Nevertheless, 8.20 saw Bensheina behind us, and 
at 9.20 Frankfurt was reached. As usual the town was 
celebrating some anniversary, and the streets were dec- 
orated with bunting from end to end. 

We were now 170 miles from Metz, or 373 miles from 
the Hotel Ritz, Paris. On entering the town of Frankfurt 
we punctured another rear tire, the third since leaving the 
French capital. 

Stopped at the Frankfurter-Hof, which is first class in 
every way, but for prices it exceeded anything that we had 
ever encountered before. 



[16] 




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THROUGH THE AUSTRIAN TYROLS 
TO LUCERNE AND AIX-LES-BAINS 

THURSDAY, JULY 23, 1908 



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E got under way, with the Renault, at 1.10 
after having partaken of kmch. 

Before leaving Frankfurt I had the car 

looked over, and replenished my stock of 

z?T^^^^/^.^ zzzMj tires, so that we were in good shape in every 

respect. We had, however, scarcely gone 20 kilometers, when 

we punctured another rear tire. 

The following route was taken: 

Kil. 

Frankfurt to Seligenstadt 25 

Seligenstadt to Obernburg 27 



Obernburg to Amorbach 



30 



Amorbach to Mudau 14 

Mudau to Mosbach 24 

Mosbach to Heilbronn 35 

Heilbronn to Ludwigsburg 34 

Ludwigsburg to Stuttgart 15 

Total 204 



Found the road from Frankfurt to Obernburg uninterest- 
ing. At the latter point we joined the River Main, which 

[19] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

flows through a rather picturesque valley. We paralleled 
this river as far as Heubach, where, on turning to the right, 
we joined the swift-flowing Muldau. 

From Buch, where the Muldau was crossed by an old 
stone bridge, we followed the route to Mosbach. At Gum- 
delsheim, a very attractive little village, which was also 
celebrating an anniversary of some sort, we came across my 
mother's car with a punctured tire. While repairs were 
being made, we visited the town church. 

Heilbronn, the next place of importance, proved to be a 
busy spot. 

Stuttgart was reached at 6.35 p. m. Stopped for the night 
at the Hotel Marquardt, where rooms had been reserved. 

On examining the cyclometer, we found that it registered 
2,905.2 miles. 

FRIDAY, JULY 24, 1908 

Another beautiful day greeted us, and we decided to leave 
Stuttgart for Fussen, a little town situated at the foot of 
the Austrian Tyrol. 

At 9.20 both cars were under way for Ulm. Route taken: 

Kil. 

Stuttgart to Esslingen 11 

Esslingen to Coppingen 25 

Coppingen to Geislingen 16 

Geislingen to Ulm 30 

Total 82 

We found the road in good condition, but as the entire 
distance lies through a broad valley, there is nothing much 
to keep up the interest of the traveler. The towns are all 
modern, and factories are to be found in abundance in all 
directions. 

[20] 




ENTRANCE TO TOWN OF MUMURRIGEN 




CATHEDRAL AT ULM 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

Ulm, which we reached at 11.50 A. M., is another modern 
town, laid out with big boulevards. It possesses some fine 
government buildings. Its one attraction, the cathedral, is 
very fine. We stopped for lunch at the Russischer Hof, 
just opposite the railway station. Clean and up-to-date. 

Took on gasoline and oil, and after lunch, proceeded to 
visit the cathedral and take some photographs. The exte- 
rior and interior of the cathedral are considered the finest 
examples of German Gothic in the empire. 
At 1.25 p. M. left Ulm for Fussen by way of 

Kil. 

Ulm to Kellmunz 35 

Kellmunz to Memmingen 14 

Memmingen to Kempten 35 

Kempten to Nesselwang 20 

Nesselwang to Fussen 17 

Total 121 

The road from Ulm to Kempten is through a flat country, 
well cultivated, but uninteresting. At 2.30, we stopped for 
15 minutes at the entrance gate to the town of Mumurrigen 
and took a photograph. Fussen was reached at 4.45 p. M. — 
81.5 miles for the afternoon's run. Total for day, 138.5 
miles. 

From Kempten to Fussen, the country becomes very 
hilly; and from Nesselwang on, it strongly resembles that 
of Switzerland. 

Weissen See, which was passed just before reaching Fus- 
sen, is a very picturesque lake, along the northern borders 
of which runs the road. Fussen is a quaint old town, but 
rarely visited by strangers. The hotel is best compared to 
a country boarding-house, but the proprietor did all in his 
power to make us comfortable, and sacrificed everything in 
his efforts. We visited an old castle belonging to the 

[23] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

Ponicken family. Rather interesting. Owing to the death 
of the head of the house a few days previously, the place 
had taken on a very gloomy appearance. We dined in the 
garden surrounding the hotel, and had fourteen singers and 
dancers play for us that evening. They made a very at- 
tractive picture in their native costume, and their dances 
and music proved to be quite original. 



SATURDAY, JULY 25, 1908 

Another beautiful day. At 8.20 a. m., we were under 
way to visit the Mad King of Bavaria's Castle. The castle 
is situated within 5 kilometers of Fussen, on top of a moun- 
tain, in the most inaccessible of positions. On arriving at 
the foot of the hill, we were informed that automobiles 
could not proceed further. We therefore stopped the two 
cars and made arrangements for a landau to drive us to the 
summit. After waiting a considerable time, and the landau 
not putting in an appearance, we decided that we would 
abandon our visit to the castle, and proceed on our route 
to Bregenz. Not wishing to return to Fussen, we took 
a short cut leading to the town of Vils, and much to our 
astonishment, after half a mile's run, we saw the entrance 
to the castle suddenly loom up in front of us. We were 
all agreeably surprised, and the entire party visited the 
imposing structure. 

We found the gentleman in charge a most charming 
guide. The view from the windows is superb, but the castle 
itself rather uninteresting, being massive in construction, 
and furnished in extremely bad taste. Three-quarters of 
an hour's visit gave us ample time in which to take in 
the surroundings, and after having thanked our courier we 
began our return journey to Fussen. 

Half-way back we were stopped by the police and placed 

[24] 




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LOG OF MY MOTOR 

under arrest. The road proved to be private and not open 
to automobile traffic, and the one leading to Vils was for 
the personal use of the King only. 

On arriving at the police headquarters at Fussen, I ex- 
plained to the Mayor of the town the error we had made, 
and that we very much regretted it. The officials all proved 
to be most affable, and after a fifteen-minute delay, and the 
deposit of 50 marks, we were allowed to proceed on our way 
at 9.50 A. M. 

At 10 o'clock, 3 kilometers from -Fussen, the German 
frontier was reached. Our papers being correct, we were 
delayed but a couple of minutes, so that by 10.20 we had 
arrived at the Austrian frontier. Here we had some incon- 
venience in making the necessary deposit. The Touring 
Club of France had not yet completed its arrangements with 
the Austrian Government for a triptiJc, and as a conse- 
quence we suffered a twenty-minute delay. The Austrian 
frontier was left at 10.50. 

At Reutte, the ascent of the first pass began. The road 
was in splendid condition, but very winding. Numerous 
lakes were passed, the waters of which reflected an unusual 
turquoise color. 

The timber all through this section of the country is 
superb, and the mountains towered above us 10,000 to 
12,000 feet. It was a wonderful sight. The day was clear 
so that we could easily observe the grandeur of the 
scenery. 

At the little town of Wangle the summit was reached, and 
a steep winding descent begun to the village of Leermoos, 
from which point the route is practically level as far as 
Imst. At Imst we arrived at 12.30, and stopped at the 
quaint Hotel Post for lunch, an old building with walls six 
to eight feet thick. Morning's run, 49.5 miles from Fussen. 
No mishaps on the way except one punctured tire to the 

[27] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

Mercedes car. Filled up with gasoline and oil, and under 
way again, at 2.00 p. m. 

A few kilometers from the town, the narrow valley in 
which Innsbruck lies, appeared far below, and winding up 
through this valley we beheld an express train running in 
our direction. As we reached the stream flowing at the 
bottom of the valley, we found ourselves running parallel with 
the train. It is only fair to state that we kept up with it, and 
after descending the other side of the Arlberg Pass, arrived at 
the exit of the tunnel just as the train was coming out. 

We reached St. Anton, a small village with a good hotel, 
at 3.00 P.M. At, this point begins the ascent of the Arl- 
berg, and an 18 per cent grade with a 5,400-foot climb 
stared us in the face. 

At the village of Langen, at the foot of the Pass, we once 
more emerged into sunlight, and at Bludenz came again 
into contact with the dusty roads. Here a broad valley is 
entered through which our route leads, and the Upper 
Rhine, one of the most noted rivers of the world, is paral- 
leled the entire distance to Bregenz. 

Stopped at Bregenz at the Osterreichischer Hof. 

Total day's run, 109.5 miles. 

SUNDAY, JULY 26, 1908 

Another superb day. At 10.15 we left Bregenz for Lu- 
cerne and passed through the following towns: 

Kil. 

Bregenz to Rheineck 20 

Rheineck to Rorschach 13 

Rorschach to St. Gallen 15 

St. Gallen to Waldstadt 4 

Waldstadt to Lichtensteig 21 

Lichtensteig to Utznach 16 



*& 



[28] 




ARLBERG PASS — THE RENAULT CAR 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

Kil. 

Utznach to Lachen 12 

Lachen to Feusisberg 12 

Feusisberg to Schonenberg 14 

Sclionenberg to Menzingen 13 

Menzingen to Baar 4 

Baar to Zug 4 

Zug to Lucerne 13 

Total .189 

The Austrian frontier, situated at Hochst, was reached at 
10.45. Stopped on the way to reprimand a boy who turned 
a hose on the occupants of both cars. 

We had some trouble in getting back our deposit, but at 
11.05 were under way again, the Rhine being crossed by 
means of a very fine and massive old wooden bridge, both 
sides and top of which were covered, and the interior hung 
with shields. 

At the western terminus of the bridge, we reached the 
Swiss douane. Owing to my triptik, it was only a matter 
of a few minutes to pass my car; but we were somewhat 
delayed, so that it was 11.15 before we were on our way for 
Utznach. 

At Rorschach, Lake Constance was left behind, and the 
ascent to the town of St. Gallen begun. The towns and 
villages proved uninteresting. We could hardly believe we 
were traveling through Switzerland; they were, most of 
them, modern and well laid out, with boulevards and fine 
stone buildings. The roads were confusing and ran in all 
directions. Signs were erected at intervals only, and it 
was with difficulty we reached Utznach by 1.15 p. m., stop- 
ping for lunch at a dirty little inn named the Falken 
Hotel. 

The road from St. Gallen on is rather picturesque. At 

[31] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

Riken, rain had fallen, which abated the dust nuisance; 
but owing to the lack of rain for many weeks it had become 
transformed into a slippery grease, and our descent into 
Utznach from Lichtensteig was tedious, slow and dangerous. 

A very fine view of Lake Zurich is obtained about 8 kilo- 
meters from Utznach before the descent is commenced. 
One can also see for miles up the Glarus Valley. 

According to the cyclometer, we had run 56 miles or 89 
kilometers from Bregenz to Utznach. 

At 2.20 p. M., having eaten hardly anything, we got under 
way for Lucerne. A few kilometers out of Utznach, the rain 
was left behind, and we once more encountered dust. 

The road as far as Lachen is practically straight, with 
the exception of two turns. At Feusisberg, the Lake of 
Zurich is left behind, and the road ascends the mountains 
to the village of Menzingen. The route chosen was a short 
cut, and not one of the national highways; although in 
good repair, it is extremely narrow and not built for speed. 
Curves are sharp, and but few villages are passed through. 

Baar and Zug are modern towns, and from the latter 
to Lucerne, which was reached at 4.25 p. M., the road is 
uninteresting. 

Stopped at the Grand Hotel National. 



TUESDAY, JULY 28, 1908 

Another cloudless day. Mrs. Vanderbilt having left for 
Paris, I got under way at 8.45 a. m. for Aix-les-Bains. 
The route taken was through Langnau, Fribourg, Lausanne, 
Geneva and Aix-les-Bains. 

The road to Langnau as far as the town of Belp is interest- 
ing, lying in a valley. It passes through village after vil- 
lage, all absolute models of Swiss architecture. The people 
also wear their peasant costume, but unfortunately they are 

[32] 




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LOG OF MY MOTOR 

rather "down" on the automobihst. Knowing this, I pro- 
ceeded slowly, as it was not my intention to irritate anyone. 

At the little town of Schaehen, I took a cut-off over a 
small pass, and descended into the village of Entlebuch. I 
would not advise anyone to take this route. The road is in 
bad condition and dangerous. It is wiser to proceed to 
Wonlhusen. This route, although increasing the distance 
by 12 kilometers, does not take a much longer time be- 
cause of the good condition of the road. 

At Rubig, the main route to Berne is left, and the road to 
Belp and Thunnen taken. At the latter town, I swung west 
and up into the hills to the village of Schwarzenburg, then 
down through a canyon to the village of Fribourg. Romont 
was the next town of importance, and Lausanne was reached 
at 12.50, a non-stop run from Lucerne. The time occupied 
was 4 hours and 5 minutes, and the distance covered 117 
miles. The road was fair most of the way. The car worked 
well, and I had but one experience on the entire route. 

An old man near the village of Langnau, driving a horse 
in a four-wheeled cart, became very much frightened at my 
sudden appearance, and began jerking the animal, who evi- 
dently was taking no interest in the car, but being hauled 
around with its driver's force, broke one of the shafts. I 
stopped my motor at about 200 feet from the wagon, and 
descending, ran to the assistance of the old fellow. He 
seemed to be in a terrible state, but as the horse had shown 
no signs of fear during the whole proceeding, I thought some 
kind of a game was being played. The old gentleman was 
jabbering something as I helped him unhitch his horse, and 
then we found the left-hand shaft broken. It broke while I 
was looking at it and on closer examination I found that both 
shafts had been broken before, thin strips of wood having 
been nailed to either side to hold them together. It was 
clearly a put-up job, and I so expressed myself; but not 

[35] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

wishing to be troubled, I handed the old man 20 francs 
and resumed my journey. 

Took lunch at Lausanne, at the same time refilling the 
gasoline tank, and at 2.10 p. m. was once more under way 
for Aix. The road to Geneva had been put in splendid 
condition, having been widened the entire way and tarred, 
although it was necessary to run slowly through many vil- 
lages. Geneva, 62 kilometers distant, was reached at 3.05, 
and the Swiss frontier at 3.25. Stopped two minutes to 
have my papers examined and then proceeded to the French 
frontier, arriving at 4.00 p. m. 

Ten minutes later, after having my passavmit examined, 
I was once more on the way for Aix, and at 4.55, German 
time, found myself in front of the Villa Victoria. Having 
traveled west all day, I had gained one hour, and to my sur- 
prise found that bj^ French time it was only 3.55. 

The distance from Geneva to Aix-les-Bains is 75 kilo- 
meters. The total day's run was 206 miles, covered in 6 
hours and 38 minutes. 



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AIX-LES-BAINS TO MONTE CARLO 

AUGUST 18, 1908 



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r was a cloudy day, but Mr. Payne and my- 
self decided to take a run down to Monte 
Carlo and try our luck at the tables. At 
3.40 p. M. we got under way for Gap. Our 
route lay through the towns of Chambery, 
Grenoble, La Mure, Corps and Gap. Total distance, 167 
kilometers. The 35-H. P. Renault was used. 

Everything went well until we reached the village of La 
Buissiere. Here we punctured a rear tire and lost 6 minutes 
in making the change. We followed the road on the north 
side of the Isere River, which is in far better condition and 
less winding than the route on the south bank of that stream. 
Grenoble was reached at 5.05. The scenery from Cham- 
bery to Grenoble, by Le Touvet, the route we had taken, 
is uninteresting. The road runs through a broad valley the 
entire distance. For scenery the road by Les Eschelles 
should be taken, but for speed the one we had just trav- 
ersed is the route to take. 

From Grenoble to Vizille, one encounters a tangent of 
7 kilometers, and then a dusty, broad road, the surface 
of which is not in first-class condition, skirting the River 
Drac for 10 kilometers to the town of Vizille. From Vizille, 
we started to climb to the village of La Mure, a distance of 

[39] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

21 kilometers. The grade for the first eight kilometers is 
very steep, and an altitude of 2,100 feet is attained. We 
obtained, however, a fine view of the valley and the town we 
had just left behind. 

At Laffrey, the summit was reached, and from there on the 
road is rather undulating and skirts three small lakes; it 
is uninteresting, however, and far from picturesque. 

Through this section of the country it is worth while 
noting the transmission lines of the various power companies. 
The poles are large, cement ones, substantially built, with 
a very neat appearance. 

From La Mure to Corps, 23 kilometers, the road is very 
picturesque, but there are a good many sharp turns, and the 
way leads continuously up and down hill. 

From Corps to Gap, 38 kilometers, the route is moun- 
tainous and extremely beautiful. The last six kilometers de- 
scending to the town of Gap are dangerous and full of reverse 
curves. 

At Layre, owing to darkness, we stopped and lit the lamps. 
The Hotel Brasserie des Negociants in the town of Gap was 
reached at 7.45 p. M. It had been improved to a certain 
extent and at present is a fairly comfortable place for the 
automobilist to stop at for the night. 

On examining the gasoline tank we found we had used 
35 liters of gasoline for the run of 167 kilometers. No me- 
chanical troubles, the only mishap being a punctured tire. 

AUGUST 19, 1908 

Another cloudy day. At 10.45 a. m. we got under way 
for Nice. The route taken from Gap was as follows: 

KU. 

Gap to Chorges 18 

Chorges to Digne, by way of Seyne ... 75 

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LOG OF MY MOTOR 

Kil. 

Digne to Castellane 51 

Castellane to Grasse 63 

Grasse to Nice 33 

Total 240 

The road from Gap to Chorges, skirting the River Moul- 
lettes, is rather flat and uninteresting. From Chorges to 
the River Durance, distant 6 kilometers, we found that the 
bed of the river lies in a canyon, and the road skirting it full 
of twists and rather out of the ordinary. A geologist might 
profitably spend many hours examining the stratification of 
the rocks in this section. 

At the town of Les Bonnets one turns to the right, and 
crosses the River Moullettes. The road now skirts the 
River Durance for 9 kilometers to the village of Les Celliers. 
Here, on turning to the left, the River Durance is crossed by 
a small bridge, and a narrow road, the surface of which is 
in bad condition, is taken, following the River Rabious, a 
small stream flowing down from the mountains, the source 
of which is about 30 kilometers distant. The road as far 
as the town of Selonnet, a distance of about 12 kilometers, 
is in bad condition, but the scenerj^ is rather wild, and the 
way narrow, steep and winding. One stop was made to 
take a photograph. The reproduction gives a very good 
idea of the aspect of the surrounding country, no vegetation 
or trees being anywhere to be seen. 

From Selonnet the Government is building a new road to 
Seyne which, when completed, will be of great benefit to the 
motorist. I would not advise any automobilist at present to 
take this route to Digne. The old way by Sisteron is the best. 

At Seyne, an altitude of 3,900 feet was attained, and we 
stopped for lunch at the Hotel des Trois Rois — small and 
poor, but food fairly appetizing. 

[43] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

The clock stood at 12.10 at the monaent of our arrival, and 
the distance covered had been 33 kilometers from Gap. We 
were off again at 1.10. There had been numerous showers 
during the morning, but as luck would have it, we managed 
to escape them all. 

The scenery from Seyne to Digne is fine. The road leads 
continuously up and down hill and one or two small moun- 
tains are crossed. The Col du Labburet, a steep and wind- 
ing pass, was safely negotiated. 

The hotel at Digne, which we reached at 2.30 p. m., has 
been much improved. We passed by without stopping, 
and ascended for 6 kilometers to the village of St. Jurson. 
From here on, we descended again to the village of Cha- 
teauredon, situated on the banks of the Asse River, which 
stream was skirted for 18 kilometers as far as the town of 
Barreme. 

From Barreme we climbed to an elevation of 3,300 feet 
over a fine road, and enjoyed the scenery, to the town of Ht. 
Sonne, at which point begins the descent into the valley in 
which Castellane is nestled. At Ht. Sonne, stopped to take 
photographs, also to adjust the brakes and to look over the 
oiling apparatus. 

Arrived at the village of Castellane at 4.00 p. m., and 
found it a quiet old spot. Standing in the big square, we 
took a photograph of a church which had been erected on 
the brink of a precipice at an elevation of about 1,000 feet. 

Taking on 35 liters of gasoline, we were off again at 4.10 
p. u. Found another steep ascent before us, and rode to 
an altitude of 3,000 feet to the village of La Batie through 
a very fine and interesting country, the continued varied 
scenery of which kept us delighted the entire time. 

At La Batie, we encountered another descent, only to rise 
again to the village of Seranon. This time we rose well 
into the clouds and our view was entirely obscured. The 

[44] 




ANOTHER VIEW OF THE HOTEL DES 
TROIS ROIS 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

route skirted close to a precipice which must drop for many 
thousands of feet sheer away from the road; for on several 
occasions a little rift in the clouds would permit us to look 
into the valley below. One had very much the sensation 
of being up in a balloon. 

At Seranon, at an altitude of 4,000 feet, we descended 
again until the clouds were left behind. Passing a curve 
at the end of a small mountain, we found, much to our dis- 
gust, that we had to begin another steep ascent to the 
town of Le Bail. 

On leaving this village, a beautiful view of the town of 
Grasse and the Mediterranean is obtained. Looking at it 
from above, it is certainly one of the most charming spots 
that I have ever seen. On arriving at 5.45, I found good 
hotels and villas with superb gardens. I felt the Riviera had 
been reached. At Chateauneuf, 23 kilometers farther on, 
we stopped at the Restaurant des Tunnels for some coffee 
and eggs. Poor place. 

At 6.55 p. M., or 45 minutes later, having lit our lamps, we 
were off for Nice, arriving at 7.10 p. m., over a rather inter- 
esting route, with, however, much of the same character 
of scenery as most of the Riviera drives. 

Total day's run, 6 hours running time; distance, 240 
kilometers. 



[47] 



MONTE CARLO TO LYONS 

AUGUST 20, 1908 




^'ERY hot day. Had a swim in the morn- 
ing, and dnring the afternoon drove over to 
Monte Carlo. Stayed there five minutes, 
won 16,000 francs, and returned to Nice. 
Dined, and at 8.55 p. M., after placing 30 
liters of gasoline into the tank, we started on our run to 
Paris. 

Followed the route from Nice to Grasse, distance 33 kilo- 
meters, and from Grasse to Draguignan, 59 kilometers. The 
last part of the run was through the Esterel Mountains, over 
a tortuous road, which is, however, very picturesque. 

The moon was out, and we enjoyed a comfortable ride, 
free from the terrific heat that one would have encountered 
in a daylight run at this time of the year. 

Stopped at the Hotel Bertin for the night, and having 
arrived at 11.10 p. m., found that the manager and hotel 
guests had all retired, the only individual in sight being one 
of the stupidest bell-boys that I have ever had the pleasure 
of encountering. After a delay of about fifteen minutes, we 
got it into his head that we wanted two bedrooms. We were 
finally shown to our apartments, which were dirty and poor. 
Nevertheless we spent a fairly comfortable night. Distance 
from Nice, 92 kilometers. Time, 2 hours and 15 minutes. 

[48] 






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AUGUST 21, 1908 

A beautiful day greeted us. After putting 20 liters of 
gasoline in the car, and paying the large bill of 8 francs ($1.60) 
for the two rooms and breakfasts, we left at 9.55 A. M. on 
our route to Lj^ons. 

To get onto the main road, we found it best to run to 
Les Ares, 10 kilometers from Draguignan. Thence we took 
the road to Le Luc, 18 kilometers farther, arriving there 
at 10.30 A. M. 

The road is winding for the first part, but the surface 
was good. The latter part, the usual route taken by me 
from Avignon to Nice, was in the same condition as I had 
found it before, — splendid and adapted to high speed. 

Brignoles, 24 kilometers farther, was reached at 10.50. 
At the railroad crossing, just before entering the town of 
St. Maximam, we found the gates closed owing to the shunt- 
ing of some freight cars, and were delayed five minutes. 
Distance, Brignoles to St. Maxiinam, 20 kilometers. Dur- 
ing our stop at this point, we suffered much from the heat. 
The thermometer must have stood well over a hundred. 

Twelve kilometers from Aix we punctured a rear tire 
and lost 10 -minutes in making the change, entering the 
town at 11.55 a. m., 39 kilometers from St. Maximam. 
Distance from Draguignan, 111 kilometers. Time, 2 hours; 
running time, 1 hour and 45 minutes. 

Stopped for lunch at the Hotel de France, where to our 
surprise we found the cooking very good. 

Putting in 20 liters of gasoline, we were under way again 
at 1.15. 

Arrived at Avignon, 71 kilometers distant, at 2.15 
" Orange, 78 " " " 2.45 

" Valence, 102 " " " 4.15 

[51] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

Stopped at the Hotel de Louvre et de la Poste, where we 
procured some chocolate and eggs. We also bought a new 
tire to replenish our stock, and put in 35 liters of gasoline 
and 8 liters of oil. The run from Aix to Valence occupied 3 
hours' time, and 201 kilometers were traversed. Run so far, 
from Draguignan, 312 kilometers. At 5.20, Valence was left 
behind. Our next stop was at Lyons, and the sky, as usual, 
became overcast. Just after St. Vallier, we punctured a front 
tire. It cost us ten minutes' delay in making repairs. We 
found the caniveaux between Tain and St. Vallier in the 
same deplorable condition as in years gone by. 

Fifteen kilometers from Lyons, we punctured a rear tire, 
and owing to the lighting of the lamps and working in the 
dark, 15 minutes were lost in making repairs, Lyons being 
reached at 7.30 p. m. 

Deducting 25 minutes for the two punctures, we covered 
the distance of 102 kilometers in 1 hour and 45 minutes. 

We stopped at the Hotel Terminus, adjoining the railway 
station, and found it as good as the Ritz in Paris. Ten 
minutes after entering the hotel, rain began to fall. 

Total day's run, 506 kilometers ; running time, 8 hours and 
45 minutes. Gasoline consumed, 95 liters. 

AUGUST 22, 1908 

Owing to the rain, we decided to take the train to Paris, 
and shipped the automobile through by freight. Yester- 
day's run thus terminated a series of short trips through 
Europe for the year 1908. 

The cyclometer stood at 4,840 miles. On our arrival in 
Liverpool on June 30 it had registered 1,631, thus show- 
ing that I had covered during my trips a distance of 3,209 
miles, the only repairs to the car being the following: 

Tires 12 

[52] 




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TRIP 



THROUGH SPAIN 
MARCH 21 TO APRIL 1 



1909 



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TRIP THROUGH SPAIN 

SUNDAY, MARCH -^l, 1909 

VER a rain-bespattered road, Mr. Paj^ie and 
I left Paris this evening for a tour through 
Spain. The car we used was a 55-H. P., 1909 
Mercedes, with a Hght tonneau attached. A 
baggage rack, which enabled us to carry 
from 500 to 600 pounds of luggage, had also been adjusted 
to the rear end of the body, with the result that we traveled 
with every comfort due the motorist. The car was also 
equipped with four anti-skid Michelin racing tires, size 935 
by 135. The two headlights, the rays of which threw forth 
10,000 candle power, illuminated the road for fully half a 
kilometer. Gas was furnished by Prestolite tanks. 

I called for Mr. Payne at his residence in the Avenue des 
Champs Ely sees at 7.00 p. m., and half an hour later the gates 
of Paris were left behind. A run of twenty minutes brought 
us to Versailles, where we dined, leaving again at 9.30 for 
Chartres, which town was reached, after a very disagreeable 
ride, at 11.00 p. M. Day's run, 94 kilometers, in 1 hour and 
50 minutes. Stopped for the night at the Hotel Grand 
Monarque, now passable, having been renovated during the 
past twelve months. 



[57] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

MONDAY, MARCH 22, 1909 

The day opened cloudy, with showers every few minutes 
during the morning. At 8.45 a. m., we were under way. 
The road is uninteresting, and the surface, owing to heavy 
rains, was greasy and wet. We were much inconvenienced 
by pebbles thrown into our faces by the front wheels ow- 
ing to the anti-skid tires with which they were equipped. 

At 10.50 A. M., we passed through the town of Tours and 
shaped our course for Chattellerault, where we intended to 
lunch. At 11.45 the town hove in sight, and at 11.55 the 
Hotel Moderne was reached. Enjoyed a good lunch and 
found the hotel clean and fairlj^ comfortable. The tanks 
were replenished with 80 liters of gasoline, and the oilers 
were also filled. At 1.45 sharp, the motor was again set in 
motion. A steady downpour now accompanied us, but 
with the hood up, little inconvenience was felt. 

Angouleme was reached at 3.50, and Bordeaux, our rest- 
ing place for the night, at 6.07 p. m. The last 100 kilometers 
were over a rather hilly and winding route. Stopped for the 
night at the Hotel Chapon-Fin. Very good and comfortable. 

Day's run, 480 kilometers, in 7 hours and 32 minutes. 
Average speed, Paris to Bordeaux, 63 kilometers an hour. 
Three stops. So far no mishaps, and everything working 
satisfactorily. We refilled the tank at Bordeaux with 75 
liters of gasoline. 

TUESDAY, MARCH 23, 1909 

ShowerJ^ At 10.00 a. m., we left Bordeaux. Owing to the 
breaking of a chain, 3 kilometers out of town, and finding 
repairs impossible, we returned to Bordeaux for lunch and 
telegraphed Paris-Automobile to send a man that night 
with four new chains to St. Sebastian, to meet us there the 

[.58] 




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LOG OF MY MOTOR 

following morning at 9. We managed, after considerable 
search through the various garages of the town, to find a 
French chain, and this being adjusted, a start was again 
made for St. Sebastian, at 2.45 p. m. 

The road as far as Dax is mostly cobbled, but, by making 
a detour by way of Arcachon, 30 kilometers of bad paving 
are avoided. The country is flat and uninteresting. The 
route lies through splendid pine forests, the trees of which 
are tapped, the sap being used for the making of turpen- 
tine. I noticed on this road, which is mostly in tangents 
of from five to six miles in length, that much of the cobbled 
structure had been removed since 1902, and replaced with 
macadam. The old pavement also had been renovated in 
many places, and judging by the piles of blue stone heaped 
up on the side, it is evident the Government intends 
relaying the entire route in the course of the next few 
years. 

Bayonne was reached at 5.50 p. m. A picturesque and 
well-fortified town. Passed on without stopping. We took 
the back road leading to the Spanish frontier, which avoided 
the town of Biarritz. From Bayonne on, the aspect of the 
country changes, and we passed over a hilly district skirting 
the foot of the Pyrenees. The run to the frontier was fine 
and enjoyable; the snow-capped mountains, which we were 
rapidly approaching, looked very grand in the distance. 

We drew up at the French douane at 6.30 p. m., and to 
our disgust found it had been closed at 6. It was, therefore, 
impossible to go farther. Nevertheless, after a few minutes' 
conversation with the French and Spanish officials, who 
are stationed here on each side of a small stone bridge, we 
were granted the privilege, after making a deposit of 1,500 
francs, to proceed into Spain for the night, provided we 
returned with the car by 8.00 a. m. in the morning to have 
our papers properly made out. 

[63] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

At Irum, a small village 2 kilometers from the Spanish 
frontier, we found the Hotel du Palace, and decided to stop 
there for the night. A very uncomfortable and dirty place, 
the kitchen of which produced nothing but uneatable food. 



WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24, 1909 

Eight A. M. found us back at the frontier, and while our 
papers were being prepared, we put 75 liters of gasoline in 
the car. At 8.55, everything being O. K., we started off 
on our run through Spain. The country now began to as- 
sume a very mountainous aspect. In fact, we were skirting 
the northern extremity of the Pyrenees. St. Sebastian was 
reached at 9.35, and proceeding to the hotel where we had 
instructed the chains to be sent, we found them awaiting 
our arrival. Having a long way still before us, we did not 
stop, but continued on our way to Vitoria. The road is good. 
Numerous toll lodges were passed, and all claimed 5 pesetas, 
or $1.00, for the privilege of using them. The country was 
in superb condition, and the people have the appearance 
of being prosperous. They seemed kindly disposed to the 
motorist and received us with smiles. 

We took the road to Tolosa and Villafranca. At the 
latter town, we turned to the left and traversed the Sierra 
de Aralar Mountains, ^"ery fine in every way, although 
the road is rather tortuous owing to sharp turns and 
grades. The last 43 kilometers to Vitoria from Alsasua 
are flat and uninteresting, running through a rather fertile 
valley bordered by the Sierra de Aralar on the north, and 
Sierra de Audia to the south. 

At 12.10 p. M., we arrived at Vitoria and stopped for lunch 
at the Hotel Pallares, which had been much improved since 
my stop there in 1902. The rooms were clean and comfort- 
able, and the food fairly palatable. 

[64] 




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We put in 30 liters of gasoline, refilled the oil tanks, 
and added as a reserve supply one 5-liter can of gasoline, 
and two 2-liter cans of oil, which were placed on the bag- 
gage rack. This precaution proved our salvation two days 
later. 

The Royal Automobile Club of Spain has begun to estab- 
lish, at frequent points throughout the country, sign posts 
indicating the roads, caniveaux and railroad crossings; but 
these warnings cannot as yet be depended upon, and the 
motorist should disregard them. There is an official guide 
issued by the Royal Automobile Club of Spain, which is a 
great help in touring the country. The touring club has 
also published a map, indicating the good roads. But best 
of all is a small pocket edition entitled "Mapa de Espana y 
Portugal con indice, Extracto del Atlas manual de Stieler." 

The run from Irum to Vitoria is as follows: 

KU. 

Irum to St. Sebastian 20 

St. Sebastian to Tolosa 26 

Tolosa to Villafranca 16 

Villafranca to Alsasua 51 

Alsasua to Vitoria 43 

Total 156 



After lunch we visited the cathedral, which is not very 
interesting. The town is clean, healthy and thriving. Its 
population is given as 26,000. With regard to places of in- 
terest, there are none. It was here that the battle of Vitoria 
between the British and French forces was fought in 1813, 
which eventually led to the complete defeat of the latter, 
and their expulsion from Spain. 

At 2.15 p. M., we started for Logrono. At Arminon, 24 
kilometers from Vitoria, the main road leading to Madrid 

[CT] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

was forsaken, and we turned to the left at the junction of 
two roads, which has for a sign post a huge monument of 
stone standing approximately 15 feet in height. 

The route is rather uninteresting for the first 40 kilo- 
meters. After the River Ebro is skirted, however, the 
landscape changes. The country is hilly, and in appearance 
very like that of northern Africa. The village of Labaslida 
is a small dilapidated town. We passed through it without 
stopping. From the numerous coats of arms on many of 
the houses, I judged it to have been at one time the home 
of the Dons. 

Laguardia, 16 kilometers from Logrono, is rather a pic- 
turesque town, well fortified, situated on the summit of a 
small hill, and commanding a fine view of the surrounding 
country. The approach to the town is up a 20 per cent 
grade. On reaching the summit, we stopped to take a 
photograph of some of the inhabitants. The villages in 
this district are difficult to distinguish from the surrounding 
country. The stone used in the construction of the houses 
and the tiles covering the roofs are of the dark brown clay 
of the country itself. 

At 4.00 p. M., we arrived at Logrono. Finding the artillery 
drilling on the outskirts of the town, we stopped for a few 
minutes to watch the maneuvers. Logrono is situated on 
the south side of the River Ebro, which we crossed on a 
modern steel structure. The town is well laid out and 
clean, and lies in the middle of a fertile valley producing a 
heavy wine called Vino de la Rioja. It has a population 
of about 14,000. No points of interest, except an old stone 
bridge crossing the Ebro, which was built in 1138, situated 
about a quarter of a mile from the new steel span. We 
stopped at the Hotel de Commerce, but the accommodations 
proved so bad that we decided to make Soria for the night, 
and at 4.20 were once more under way. 

[68] 





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The route taken from Mtoria to Logrono was as follows: 

Kil. 

Vitoria to Arminon 24 

Arminon to Labaslida 13 

Labaslida to Laguardia 27 

Laguardia to Logrono 16 

Total 80 

Surface of road good. 

There is a shorter route over the mountains, by way of 
Moraza, as follows: 

Kil. 

Vitoria to Moraza 21 

Moraza to Leza 17 

Leza to Laguardia 6 

Laguardia to Logrono 16 

Total 60 

This route, although saving 20 kilometers, is not so good 
for motoring. 

Having left Logrono behind, we found a straight stretch 
of poor road, leading for 13 kilometers to the foot of the 
mountains, which loomed up to an appalling height. The 
snow-capped summits gave us a foreboding of what we might 
find at the top of the pass, and it was certainly far from 
comforting. 

Soria was 120 kilometers distant from Logrono, and owing 
to the late hour, we pushed on as rapidly as possible. It 
was necessary to cross the Sierra Cebolle Mountains over 
a pass which attained an altitude of 6,500 feet. 

After leaving the plains, the surface of the road improved 
considerably, but wound through canyons and valleys in a 
continuous up-grade to the town of Torrecilla. The scenery 

[71] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

is grand, wild and picturesque. Some small tunnels were 
traversed. 

At Torrecilla we punctured a rear tire, the first since 
leaving Paris. Repairs were quickly made. Two minutes 
later, however, we punctured it again. We now found it 
necessary to change the outer shoe. Fifty minutes were 
lost making the repairs for both punctures. 

At Pagares we ran into deep snow. The top of the pass 
could now be seen, but the possibility of our crossing it 
looked very dubious. The snow increased constantly as we 
climbed the side of the mountain. In the end, the radiator 
pushed the snow over the hood, and the car stuck. It was 
impossible to turn, and darkness rapidly falling, we had to 
act quickly, or spend the night in the mountains. Putting on 
the reverse gear, we backed down the pass for a little over a 
mile, where a sharp turn of the road permitted us once more 
to put on our first speed. Before descending farther we lit 
the lamps, and took a look at the surrounding country. It 
was a fine sight; the valleys and mountains below were 
stretched out like a map in front of us. 

Logrono was 59 kilometers distant from our turning point. 
It seemed to us a long way off. Nevertheless, at 8.50 p. M., 
the lights of the town loomed up, and the Hotel du Com- 
merce, that had looked so uninviting at 4.00 p. M., now took 
on the appearance of a palace. After a poor dinner cooked 
in oil, we were glad to hunt up our quarters, for we had had 
a very long day, having covered 354 kilometers in 8 hours 
and 4 minutes' running time. We put in 70 liters of 
gasoline, and refilled the oil tanks. 

THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 1909 

Fine. We left Logrono at 8.50 a. m. for Zaragoza, 169 
kilometers distant, arriving at 1.05 p. m., which made 4 

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hours and 15 minutes' running time. Stopped at the Grand 
Hotel de I'Europe. Very good hoteL We put in 45 Hters 
of gasoKne. 

The country throughout the day's run was uninteresting, 
being mostly flat and desert-like in appearance. Sometimes 
we could see no dwellings for 30 kilometers in all directions. 
The road as far as the town of Mallen is good, but from 
there on it is very bad, and we were compelled to reduce 
speed to 25 kilometers an hour. 

Just after passing Fontellas, 100 kilometers from Logrono, 
we struck a "thank-you-ma'am," while going at full speed, 
which very nearly brought the trip to an abrupt end. We 
passed over three piles of broken stone before again landing 
on terra firma, and missed cutting down a telegraph pole by 
a couple of inches. On returning to the spot, we could find 
no trace of the wheels on the road for a distance of 33 feet, 
but on a close examination of the car we found that no 
harm had been done, not even a punctured tire. 

The route taken was as follows: 

Kil. 

Logrono to Agoncillo 13 

Agoncillo to Calahorra 37 

Calahorra to Alfaro 21 

Alfaro to Tudela 18 

Tudela to Mallen 24 

Mallen to Alagon 32 

Alagon to Zaragoza 24 

Total 169 

Zaragoza has a population of about 87,000, and is a fine 
town, very interesting to the tourist. There are many 
churches of note to be visited, and two cathedrals. La Seo 
and Del Pilar, which are as fine as any in Spain. 

[75] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

FRIDAY, MARCH 26, 1909 

Fine during the morning; rain during the afternoon and 
evening. Left Zaragoza at 10.30 a. m. for Madrid. The 
distance, 321 kilometers, was covered in 7 hours and 45 
minutes, 1 hour and 30 minutes of which were spent in 
lunching and putting in gasoline. 

La Almunia, 47 kilometers from Zaragoza, was reached 
at 11.30 A. M., and Calatayud, 34 kilometers farther, at 
12.35. At the latter town, we stopped and bought some 
lunch. To our great delight, we found two large cans of 
gasoline, which we immediately purchased. There being 
no hotel, and the populace that surrounded the car being 
mostly blind and decrepit, we decided to take our lunch 
with us into the country. Therefore, after purchasing a 
bottle of wine, bread, and some hard-boiled eggs, we de- 
parted once more into the desert. 

During the morning's run we had crossed some extra- 
ordinary country, and as for the scenery, I have never seen 
its equal. The eye ranges over the plains for a distance of 
certainly 75 miles, if not more, in all directions. The tourist 
is much impressed by the barren aspect of the unproductive 
country. Once in a while, olive trees may be seen with 
a few houses nestling amongst them; but on the whole, 
the landscape is so unforbidding that one wonders how 
the people scrape together a living in that region. 

The Sierra de la Muela and Sierra de la Virgen were 
crossed, both mountain ranges beautiful to behold, without 
a tree or trace of any vegetation on their barren slopes. 

The surface of the road was good, but numerous caniveaux 
were encountered, so that we were compelled to advance 
with great caution. Indeed, many streams of considerable 
depth have to be crossed and no bridges span them. 

Ateca, 14 kilometers from Calatayud, was the next town 

[76] 







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of importance. It is really only a small village containing 
500 or 600 inhabitants. From here on for 72 kilometers, to 
the town of Medinaceli, the road is full of caniveaiix, and 
four streams were crossed. Nevertheless, the scenery is grand, 
and we passed through mountain gorges, over small passes, 
and through uninhabited plains. The Sierra Ministra Pass 
was climbed, and an altitude of 3,500 feet attained. At 
Algora, 37 kilometers from Medinaceli, we traversed a 
broad plateau, absolutely barren and most uninteresting. 
The road at this point runs in a continuous straight line for 
many miles, and no villages or signs of habitation are visible 
in any direction. Owing to the rain, we were compelled 
to run rather slowly, and Guadalajara, 58 kilometers from 
Algora, was reached just as it was getting dark. As we still 
had 58 kilometers before reaching Madrid, we lit the lamps 
and proceeded through a more fertile country, over a rather 
bad road, to our destination. 

At 7.45 p. M. we descended at the Hotel de la Paix, tired 
and dirty to a degree. The car had worked to perfection 
since leaving Paris. Out of gratitude we determined to 
give it a bath — its first wash since starting the trip. 

During the day's run we encountered one caniveau that 
was so deep that it tore off the pet cocks on the bottom of 
the oil reservoir and water tanks, the contents of which 
were scattered along the road. It was here that our extra 
four liters of oil canie in handy, and saved the day, since 
without them we should never have been able to reach 
Madrid. 

The total amount of gasoline consumed on the run be- 
tween Zaragoza and Madrid was 70 liters. 



[79] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

SATURDAY, MARCH 27, 1909 

AND 

SUNDAY, MARCH 28, 1909 
Both days were spent at Madrid sight-seeing and enjoy- 



ing a bull fight. 



MONDAY, MARCH 29, 1909 



It being a clear day, we decided to leave at 8.15 a. m. for 
Seville. The road, on leaving Madrid, ascends to a plateau 
about 1,000 feet above the level of the town. Here it as- 
sumes a level aspect for the next 40 miles; but it is rather 
uninteresting and desert-like in appearance. 

The Sierra de Gredos and Sierra de Guadarrama are 
plainly visible to the north, looming up to a great height, 
with their peaks covered with snow. 

As we doubted our ability to accomplish the journey to 
Seville in one day, we laid our course for the town of Caceres, 
where we hoped to find a fairly comfortable hotel for the 
night. We stopped on several occasions so that I might 
take a shot with a revolver at some big birds that looked like 
large cranes or storks. None was killed, owing either to 
my bad shooting or the long range. Mr. Payne stuck to 
the first reason obstinately. At 12.10 p. m., after a tedious 
morning's run, we stopped for lunch in the open air, and 
enjoyed the scanty repast we had brought with us from 
Madrid. 

At 1.00 p. M., our journey was resumed. We crossed the 
Tajo River over a fine old stone bridge. Then we pro- 
ceeded to ascend the Sierra de Guadalupe, a rather haz- 
ardous task, in view of the facts that our foot brakes were 
entirely worn and that but little remained of the emergency 
brake. Nevertheless, Trujillo was safely reached at 3.00 p. m., 
and finding a garage established in an old church, we stopped 

[80] 




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to replenish our supply of gasoline and oil. We took on 72 
liters of the former, and 6 liters of the latter. 

A cursory ramble through the village proved it to be 
small and uninteresting, and half an hour later we had re- 
sumed our journey. The garage just spoken of is the 
repair and terminal station of a stagecoach line running 
between Trujillo and Carceres. To our surprise we found 
three German mechanics in the shop, who informed us that 
the best road to Seville was by way of Carceres and Merida, 
instead of by the main road, by way of Miajadas and Merida. 

At 3.30 we were off again, over a rather hilly route to 
Carceres, 48 kilometers distant. Arrived at the latter town 
at 4.30 p. M. Rather interesting, and situated on a hill, 
commanding a fine view of the surrounding country. At 
the outskirts, we stopped to inquire the way to the Hotel 
du Commerce. We had no sooner slowed down than the 
entire population offered themselves as guides. Choosing one, 
and followed by the rest, we entered the town looking more 
like a circus procession than a couple of ordinary tourists. 

The hotel proved to be a dirty place, situated on a small 
street just off a big square. The car took up the entire 
street, covering both road and sidewalk. On inquiring for 
rooms (as we had decided not to go farther that day), we 
were informed that the hotel was full. After a short council 
of war, we decided to move on to Badajoz for the night. 

The country now took on a more fertile appearance, and 
one could understand how the farmer here could scrape 
together a living, a proposition no one in his wildest dreams 
could imagine possible in any part of the last 800 kilometers 
of the country we had traversed. 

Merida soon hove in sight, the last stretch of the road hav- 
ing been traversed at great speed, although Mr. Payne, who 
was sitting in the back seat, complained seriously of the shocks 
he was receiving from the many deep holes encountered. He 

[85] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

implied that several parts of his body had been seriously 
distorted, and it was a question in his mind whether, on 
descending from the car, he would ever again be able to walk. 

From Merida to Badajoz, we skirted the River Guadiana, 
a large stream flowing through a very fertile country, and 
finally at 7.30 p. m., just as it was getting dark, passed 
through a series of fortifications into the town of Badajoz. 
Stopped for the night at the Hotel Garrido, bad but pos- 
sessing, much to our surprise, quite a fine dining-room. 
The food, nevertheless, proved unpalatable; as usual, it had 
been cooked in oil. 

Badajoz is situated on the Portuguese frontier, and can 
boast of nothing in the way of antiquities, but is simply a 
typical Spanish town. It possesses a small bomb-proof 
cathedral situated on the Campo de San Juan. On this 
square are also to be found the hotel, theater and town hall. 

The day's run, of 431 kilometers, took 9 hours and 55 
minutes. Consumed 117 liters of gasoline. 

The road taken from Madrid was as follows, the entire 
route being fairly good, and part of it even excellent: 

Kil. 

Madrid to Navalcarnero 32 

Navalcarnero to Magueda 36 

Magueda to Talavera 48 

Talavera to Navalmoral ........ 64 

Navalmoral to Jaraicejo 46 

Jaraicejo to Trujillo 27 

Trujillo to Caceres 48 

Caceres to Merida 69 

Merida to Lobon 28 

Lobon to Talavera 14 

Talavera to Badajoz 19 

Total 431 

[86] 



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TUESDAY, MARCH 30, 1909 

Fine morning. At 10.15, after visiting the town, and 
an ineffectual attempt on the part of the mechanic to ad- 
just the much-worn brakes, we started for Seville. We 
intended to use compression in the cylinders as a temporary 
brake in our descent of the Sierra de Tudia, which it was 
necessary to cross on our route. The first 100 kilometers of 
countiy, as far as Fuente de Cantos, gave us a good level road, 
leading through a most attractive plain, cultivated on all sides 
as far as the eye could reach. Olive groves were also in abun- 
dance, and the ranches of the farmers showed at a glance that 
prosperity, at least in this section of Spain, was not lacking. 
The country, as a whole, much resembles southern California. 

At 12 sharp, a stop was made in the open air for lunch. 
Forty-five minutes were devoted to this repast, and at 12.45 
the old motor was once more set in motion. 

At 1.30, a loud report announced that a punctured tire 
required to be taken care of. After an examination of the 
shoe, we found that it would be necessary to change it. A 
delay of half an hour was thus caused in making the repairs. 
x\s this was only our third puncture since leaving Paris, we 
had nothing to complain of. The Michelin bomb brought 
with us proved a great success, requiring only 30 seconds in 
which to blow up the inner tubes. 

We were now entering a wilder country, the surface of 
which had but very little top soil. Small trees, however, 
and shrubs of all kinds, especially cactus, were to be seen in 
all directions. The ascent of the Tudia Mountains is pic- 
turesque, and the scenery constantly changes. 

At Venta del Culebrin the summit was reached, and from 
here on we advanced with great caution owing to the lack 
of brakes. The compression on the cylinders worked like 
"a charm," and the descent was accomplished in safety. 

[89] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

At Venta del Alto, 37 kilometers from Seville, we reached 
the plain in which the latter town is situated. Here we 
encountered the worst roads we had yet driven on, and speed 
was reduced to 10 kilometers an hovu*. This lasted as far 
as Seville, where we arrived at 4.30 p. m. 



Hotels. 



Hotel de Madrid. Very good. 



Hotel de Paris. Verv good 



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The last 40 kilometers are through a more attractive country, 
increasing in richness as Seville is approached. We found 
the appearance of the villages much changed during the last 
150 kilometers. They were now nothing more than shacks, 
whitewashed, and erected in long rows, set back some 30 
to 40 feet from the highway. Every idea in house con- 
struction had been carried out with the sole intention of 
withstanding the hot sun's rays during the summer months. 
In fact, the villages are the same in appearance as those 
found in Algeria. 

The day's run, of 226 kilometers, was covered in 5 hours' 
running time. 

Consumed 70 liters of gasoline. 
The route taken was as follows: 

KU. 

Badajoz to La Albuera 23 

La Albuera to Santa Marta 21 

Santa Marta to Los Santos 40 

Los Santos to Fuente de Cantos .... 25 
Fuente de Cantos to Venta del Culebrin . 23 
Venta del Culebrin to Santa Olalla ... 21 

Santa Olalla to Venta del Alto 36 

Venta del X\to to Santiponce 26 

Santiponce to Seville 11 

Total 226 

[90] 




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Seville, a town of 133,000 inhabitants, is noted for its 
religious fetes during the Holy Week. Apart from this it 
is not often visited by the tourist. It is very picturesque 
and somewhat resembles Havana. There are numerous 
good hotels and several interesting restaurants well worth 
visiting. Outside of the town limits, there is nothing to see. 
The town itself can boast of many attractions. It is bright 
and elegant and full of music and sunshine. It is an en- 
chanting place to those seeking quiet within its walls. Its 
history is extremely interesting and will well repay reading. 
The city dates back to the fourteenth century, at which 
time the Seville Cathedral was erected — a monument of 
superb architecture that no one can forget who has once seen 
it. Here rests the body of Christopher Columbus, brought 
over from Havana in a Spanish man-of-war in the year 1902. 

The picture gallery with its magnificent Murillos; the 
Alcazar with its gorgeous Moorish architecture and superb 
garden; the House of Pontius Pilate belonging to the Duke 
of Medina Celi, and many churches of beauty and fame 
offer the tourist sufficient reasons for a prolonged stay in 
this beautiful spot- 

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 31, 1909 
Fine day. Spent in sight-seeing. 

THURSDAY, APRIL 1, 1909 

At 8.15 we were ready to launch ourselves on our last run 
to the port of Cadiz. It was very warm, so that rugs and 
coats were cast aside. 

We took the road to Villafranca as the main highway 
to Utrera was in poor condition. The road proved good, 
although longer than the main highway. The country is 
flat and uninteresting, but fertile. 

[93] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

At Villafranca, the road turns to the left and proceeds 
for 13 kilometers along a narrow winding way to Utrera. 
Just as this town loomed up, we punctured another rear 
tire, the fourth since leaving Paris. Owing to the dilapi- 
dated condition of the shoe, it was necessary to change it, 
and half an hour was lost in making repairs. 

Utrera is quite a bustling place. We stopped and took 
a photograph of the square. Proceeded then to Jerez de la 
Frontera, 71 kilometers distant. The country now be- 
comes rather hilly, and adapted to raising cattle. Jerez 
was reached at 12.00 M., a fine town, with many attractive 
buildings. We did not stop, but proceeded to Puerto de 
Santa Maria, 16 kilometers farther. It was here that we 
obtained our first glimpse of the Atlantic Ocean, with Cadiz 
rising out of the sea on a narrow peninsula across the bay. 
Puerto Real and San Fernando came next, 24 kilometers 
distant, and finally, Cadiz, 15 kilometers from San Fernando. 
From Puerto Real the road is very bad, being full of holes 
from two to three feet deep. Great care should be taken 
in traversing this stretch. 

At Puerto, the road is fairly good and speed can be at- 
tained. At San Fernando several lines of fortifications were 
passed. The country here is simply one big salt meadow, 
and piled up in all directions are huge monuments of salt, 
from 50 to 60 feet high, 20 to 30 feet thick, and 100 feet long. 

At 1.30 we arrived at Cadiz and stopped at the Hotel de 
France. A quaint old city is Cadiz, with nothing of much 
interest to the traveler. It can, however, boast of a superb 
situation. Surrounded, as it is, on all sides by water, it 
looks like a splendid gem rising out of the ocean. 

The day's run of 172 kilometers was made in 4 hours 
and 45 minutes. Gasoline consumed, 50 liters. 

Thus ended a very pleasant trip. The summary of the 
trip shows that we had covered 2,470 kilometers, in 52 hours 

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LOG OF MY MOTOR 

and 51 minutes' running time, or at an average speed of 463^ 
kilometers an hour, with one broken chain and four punctured 
tires. Total amount of gasoline consumed, 687 liters, or an 
average of 27.81 liters for every 100 kilometers covered. 

During the afternoon we placed the car on a freight train, 
shipping it by Petite Vitesse to Paris. We were notified 
by the officials that it would take from 35 to 40 days before 
it would reach its destination. 

A few hours later we took accommodations for ourselves 
on the through train from Madrid. The following day we 
departed, with the remnants of our clothing, from that town 
for Paris. 

SUMMARY OF TRIP 



Paris to Chartres . . 
Chartres to Bordeaux 
Bordeaux to Irum . 
Irum to Logrono 
Logrono to Zaragoza 
Zaragoza to Madrid 
Madrid to Badajoz 
Badajoz to Seville . 
Seville to Cadiz . . 

Total 2,470 52.51 



Kil. 


Time 


94 


1.50 


480 


7.32 


123 


3.45 


354 


8.04 


169 


4.15 


321 


7.45 


431 


9.55 


226 


5.00 


172 


4.45 



1 broken chain 

2 punctured tires 



1 punctured tire 
1 punctured tire 

1 broken chain 
4 punctured tires 



[97] 




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TOUR 



THROUGH EUROPE 

DECEMBER 15 

TO 

JANUARY 22 



1909-1910 



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TOUR THROUGH EUROPE 



WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1909 




i.|.|.|.|.|.|.|.|.|.i.i.i.i-i-i-i 



OLD but clear. Mr. Payne and I had set 
this day for starting out on our extended 
motor trip through Europe. It was our in- 
tention to visit the following cities: Brussels, 
Bruges, Antwerp, Rotterdam, Amsterdam, 
Cologne, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Nuremberg, Munich, Vienna, 
Budapest, Trieste, Venice, Genoa and Nice. 

The trip being a long one, the car was necessarily heavily 
loaded with baggage and extra tires, so that there was but 
little room for the mechanic in the tonneau. 

It is worth noting that the wheels were equipped with 
the tires used on the Paris to Cadiz run the previous year, 
the front ones having made the entire journey, and were 
still in first-class condition. The rear tires, although in very 
good shape, had been changed in northern Spain. 

We left the gates of Paris behind us at 2.30 p. M., and 
shaped our course for Reims, where we intended to stop for 
the night. We chose a somewhat different route to Mont- 
mirail, to avoid the "pave in the town of Meaux. The fol- 
lowing villages were passed through: 

Kil. from Paris 

Villiers 12 

Croissy 24 

[105] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

Kil. from Paris 

Crecy 45 

La Ferte 64 

Montmirail 98 

Montmirail was reached at 4.30 p. m., when a stop 
was made at the Hotel de Vart-Galant for chocolate and 
eggs. 

An hour and fifteen minutes later, having thoroughly 
rested ourselves, the headlights were lit, and a start made 
on the last section of the run to Reims, by way of Epernay, 
One hour and thirty minutes later we drew up in front of 
the hotel. 

The aspect of the country between Montmirail and Reims 
is rolling and picturesque. On leaving Epernay, a steep 
grade is encountered, and for 15 kilometers the road passes 
through a fine forest. Over the last 10 kilometers to Reims, 
the road descends to the plain in the middle of which the 
town is situated. 

Distance, Montmirail to Epernay, 39 kilometers. Epernay 
to Reims, 25 kilometers, making the total day's run 162 kilo- 
meters, covered in three hours and a half running time, with- 
out a mishap. We stopped at the Hotel de Lion d'Or, an 
excellent hotel in every particular. 

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1909 

Before leaving Reims we visited the cathedral just op- 
posite the hotel. It is one of the finest in France. Taking 
the road to Rethel, 36 kilometers distant, we left Reims 
behind us at 8.15 a. m. 

The country is rolling and free from trees. We found we 
were driving over the very site of the aviation meet held 
in August. 

[106] 



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LOG OF MY MOTOR 

Kil. from Reims 

Rethel 26 

Signy 58 

Rocroi 87 

All these towns are clean and prosperous. We passed 
through them without anything worthy of note happening 
and reached the latter town at 10.00 a. m. 

x\.t La Gue, 5 kilometers farther, a halt was made at the 
French douane, and to our disgust, we were politely in- 
formed by the official in charge, that the customs on the 
Belgian frontier, some distance beyond, would not accept 
automobiles entering Belgium. It would, therefore, be neces- 
sary to return to Rocroi and take the road to Regniowez, 
where the customs would accept entry of the car. 

Eleven a. m. found us at the Regniowez, some 10 kilo- 
meters west of Rocroi, and 30 minutes later, our papers 
having been made out, we began our journey through Bel- 
gium by way of 

Kil. from Reims 

Baileux 110 

Couvin 120 

Phillippeville 138 

Fosse 165 

The road was in good condition and is picturesque. Fruit 
trees bedecked the sides of houses and were of extraordinary 
shapes and sizes. I have never seen such remarkable speci- 
mens in any part of Europe. 

Namur, 185 kilometers distant from Reims, a thriving 
town, well worth visiting, was reached at 1.05 p. m. We 
stopped for lunch at the Hotel d'Harscamp, which proved 
to be excellent in every way. We had much enjoyed our 
morning's run of 195 kilometers, covered in 3 hours and 20 

[107] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

minutes, and were surprised to find the roads in such good 
condition at this time of the year. 

At 3.30, the beautiful town of Namur was left behind. 
Owing to lack of time, we did not stop to visit the various 
places of interest in it. Brussels, 63 kilometers distant, was 
our objective. A cobbled road, in good shape, bordered by 
tremendous trees impressed us very much during the after- 
noon's run. Many interesting villages were also passed 
through, and in order that we might the better enjoy our 
surroundings, the car was driven at a moderate speed. 

Finally, at 4.30 p. M., Brussels loomed up in the dusk, and 
15 minutes later the Hotel Bellevue at the Flandre was 
reached. 

Brussels, the Paris of imposing Belgium, impressed us 
considerably. Its location, its fine boulevards and its build- 
ings and gardens afford the tourist ample opportunities for 
spending many a delightful day within its walls. The 
whole town was much shocked a few hours after our arrival 
by the news of the death of King Leopold, whom few sus- 
pected even of being ill. 

Day's run, 258 kilometers. 

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1909 

Cloudy and showery. By twelve, we managed to get under 
way for Gaunt. The road is cobbled the entire distance and 
in poor shape. Nevertheless, we bumped along over the 
stones in a most uncomfortable manner, finally bursting 
one of the rear tires. It required 45 minutes to make the 
necessary repairs, with the result that our lunch hour was 
delayed to 2.00 p. M., at which time we reached the Hotel 
Royale, a clean and up-to-date hostelry. 

The morning's run of 50 kilometers was covered in 1 hour 
and 15 minutes' running time. 

[108] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

The aspect of the country is flat and uninteresting. The 
villages are clean and attractive, and the trees, all carefully 
pruned, show signs of great care. The fields also are rich 
in their cultivated condition. 

After lunch we visited the cathedral, which is very fine. 
At 4.00 p. M., having lit the lamps, we left in a heavy down- 
pour for Bruges, arriving at the first-class Hotel de Flandre 
at 5.15 p. M. Distance, 45 kilometers. Road paved, as usual, 
the entire way, but in fairly good condition. 

Day's run, 95 kilometers, covered in 2 hours and 30 minutes. 
Mishaps, one punctured tire. 

The country during the afternoon's run of 45 kilometers 
had the same appearance as that passed through on the morn- 
ing's run. The town of Bruges is most picturesque and the 
architecture of the houses very fine. There are some won- 
derful old buildings and interesting museums to be visited. 
The town hall and several churches are also worthy of a 
visit. 

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1909 

Rain. Visited the cathedral and church of Notre Dame. 
Saw the collection of Metlinger pictures at the museum in the 
rear of the hospital. It is worth a trip to Bruges just to see 
these paintings, which, in my opinion, have no equal. The 
cathedral contains several Rubens and many other paintings 
by well-known masters. 

Visited the Chateau du Conte de Flandre, built in 1411. 
The Gothic museum in this building is rather interesting 
and there are many fine old mantels. 



[109] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1909 

A dense fog enveloped the city, but the rain had stopped, 
and we were able to get under way by 8.45 a. m. for Anvers 
(Antwerp) . 

We took the same road as on the previous day as far as 
Gaunt, passing through that city at 9.45. We did not stop, 
but followed the route by way of Lokeren and St. Nicolas, 
to Anvers (Antwerp), arriving on the banks of the river at 
11.15 A. M. A small steamer ferried us across, and the hotel 
was reached at 11.45. 

Day's run, 98 kilometers, covered in 2 hours and 30 min- 
utes. The drive, owing to the stone-surfaced road, shook us 
up considerably. 

We found the villages in this section of Belgium attrac- 
tive. The houses, one story high, are painted white with a 
bluish tint and have red tiled roofs ; they are most picturesque 
to look at. 

Hotels at Antwerp are good and numerous. The Terminus, 
at the station, and the Hotel de Saint-Antoine are both 
excellent, but there are others quite equal to them. 

The town boasts of several beautiful churches and one or 
two museums. The river, full of shipping, is the home port 
of many a transatlantic liner. The streets are clean and 
laid out in big boulevards, bordering some of which are 
fine theaters and a zoological garden. 

We visited St. Paul's Cathedral and saw Rembrandt's 
"The Scourging of Christ." Outside the church in the 
cloister are to be seen Mount Calvary and Christ's Grave, as 
well as many fine statues. The church is rich in old carv- 
ings executed by the monks. 

The Cathedral of Notre Dame has Rubens' great master- 
piece the "Descent from the Cross." It contains also many 
other objects of interest. Unfortunately, nineteen years ago, 

[110] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

a powder explosion in the harbor broke all the old stained 
glass windows. 

The "Steen," or the Spanish prison used during the In- 
quisition, is also worthy of a visit. It is now used for a 
museum. The town hall has a fine ceiling. 



MONDAY, DECEMBER 27, 1909 

Owing to my being laid up, a week was spent in Antwerp; 
but on December 27, Payne and I found ourselves in the 
back seat of the car on our way to Rotterdam. At 10.45 a. m., 
Antwerp was left behind. The road was wet and slippery, 
which made progress slow, and a cold wind added to our 
discomfort. 

The Belgian frontier at Putten was reached at 11.15, and 
a half hour's delay was caused preparing our papers to 
enter Holland. The customs houses of the two countries are 
situated across the street from each other. At 11.45, we 
were under way again, and to our joy the sun now peeped 
out through the clouds. It was really its first appearance 
since we had left Paris, and advantage was taken to capture, 
by means of it, a picture of one of Holland's old windmills, 
many of which are to be seen on all sides. The country 
is picturesque, full of canals and dikes, and extremely fertile; 
the houses are quaint, attractive and clean. 

The road, although winding, has a good surface, but little 
speed could be made owing to the sharp turns. We noticed 
that carts, drawn by dogs harnessed five and six in number, 
were not so frequently seen in this country. They are being 
replaced by vehicles drawn by horses. The trees are very 
fine and planted in long rows. The fruit trees, especially, 
are magnificent. 

Williansted was reached at 1.15, — a clean little town on the 
banks of the River Rhine. We found that the ferry which 

[111] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

was to take us across would not return from the other side 
until 3.00 p. M. We, therefore, repaired to a quaint little inn 
for lunch, which unfortunately produced tasteless food. 

The morning's run of 63 kilometers was covered in 2 hours. 

The steamer, a small affair, arrived at 3.15. It was barely 
the size of a New York harbor tug, so that we had all 
kinds of trouble getting the motor aboard. Indeed, for some 
moments, I questioned whether the feat Avould be accom- 
plished at all. Finally, after heroic efforts on the part of the 
crew and some villagers who aided, the machine was placed 
on deck, leaving, unfortunately, but little room for the pas- 
sengers, who could be heard growling on all sides. 

We had a pleasant half hour's run across and found the 
disembarkation easy. From the river to Rotterdam we 
lost our way, and owing to the darkness had an uncom- 
fortable time of it, finally reaching the city at 5.00 p. m. Dis- 
tance, 28 kilometers. We must have gone 10 kilometers 
more owing to our mistaking the road, which runs on top 
of a levee almost the entire way. 

We had traversed a very interesting country. Quaint 
houses and attractive villages are everywhere to be seen, 
giving the impression that Holland is most prosperous. 

jT ± 1 [ Hotel Weimar. Very good 
Hotel de la Meuse. Good 



TUESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 1909 

A strong wind blowing from the north, accompanied by 
heavy rain squalls, made the prospects for a pleasant day's 
run look very remote. 

We left for Amsterdam at 11.30 a. m., arriving at Leyde 
at 12.55 p. M. Stopped at the Hotel du Lion d'Or for 
lunch. Found it very clean and up-to-date. The streets 

[112] 





VIEWS IN AMSTERDAM 





VIEWS NEAR ROTTERDAM 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

of this town bear a great resemblance to the streets in 
the small towns in England. 

Off again at 2.15 for Haarlem, where we arrived at 3.15. 
The road pro^'ed very interesting. Beautiful villas and fine 
estates border it on both sides. Visited the church, which 
is uninteresting, but contains a fine organ. Unfortunately, 
as our luck would have it, it was not played on this day. 
The museum had also closed fifteen minutes prior to our 
arrival in the town. We purchased a few little nick-nacks 
at some of the stores, and departed at 3.55 for Amsterdam. 
The road is one long tangent, paralleled by a canal on one 
side, and a railroad on the other. x\t 4.30 p. m., we arrived 
at the hotel in Amsterdam. 

A most interesting place, canals everywhere, with fine 
boulevards and superb villas. The two best hotels are the 
Amstel and Brack's-Doelen. 

The day's run, in spite of the poor weather, was most 
interesting. Thousands of windmills are to be seen on all 
sides. Beautiful canals are crossed and re-crossed, and 
charming villages constantly vary the scenery and keep up 
the interest of the traveler. 

It was amusing to see the canal boats with their extra- 
ordinary colors, dragged by horses, mules, dogs, or even by 
a single man. Some of them were fitted with gasoline 
engines and made progress rapidly, while others, in the 
strong breeze, were making good headway with curiously 
cut sails. 

The people are all well-to-do. The boys are full of play 
and give the motorist many a sensation. Their chief amuse- 
ment is to make faces, yell, and throw stones when one 
passes by. 

The country is rich to a degree and in summer time must 
be a paradise of vegetation. The soil, as far as the eye can 
see, is highlv cultivated, as is to be seen in no other country. 

[ 115 ] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

The roads are paved with small bricks, which make riding 
easy, and need little care from a maintenance point of view. 
Day's run, 86 kilometers, in 4 hours. 



WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 29, 1909 

At Amsterdam. Visited the museum and saw all the 
Rembrandts and other paintings. We also passed through 
the Palace, which is furnished in the Empire period. With 
the exception of the large throne room, it is not worth going 
to see. 

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 30, 1909 

Cloudy, but rainless and warm. Left Amsterdam at 
8.45 A. M. for Diisseldorf, by way of Utrecht, which town 
was reached at 9.45. Road good and rather interesting, 
paralleling a canal the entire way. 

The villages with their houses now begin to assume a dif- 
ferent aspect, seeming in appearance like those of southern 
France, intermingled with a touch of German architecture. 
Utrecht is interesting, but owing to lack of time we passed 
through without stopping. 

Ziest, 10 kilometers distant, a summer resort full of villas 
and hotels, has an attractive appearance. At this point, 
to our great joy, we entered a rolling country, and the flats 
that we had been traversing for days were gradually left 
behind . 

Arnhem was reached at 11.15. A pretty little town, with 
a very good hotel, the Hotel du Soleil, where we stopped for 
lunch. Morning's run, 95 kilometers. Time, 2 hours and 
30 minutes. 

Left for the frontier at 12.45. At Nimegue, 16 kilometers 
distant, the Rhine was crossed on a ferry propelled by the 
bow being swung out against the swiftly moving current 

[116] 




TOWN HALL. VEEK 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

which, catching the side of the boat, pushed it sideways, 
while a rope, lying on the bottom of the river, and fastened 
to the boat by a pulley on which it travels, gives the necessary 
resistance. In this way the boat slides over to the landing 
stage on the other side. For once we arrived just in time 
to catch the boat. What a miracle! 

At 1.15 p. M., the little village of Veek, on the Dutch 
frontier, was passed. Fifteen minutes were required to 
get our deposit back, during which time I took a photograph 
of the town hall and custom house. Fifty yards farther 
on, we were held up by the German customs officials. Luckily 
for us, a most courteous official did all in his power to get 
us through the formalities as quickly as possible. Never- 
theless it took three-quarters of an hour's hard work for 
three men to prepare the papers, and then a load of docu- 
ments was deposited in my pocket-book. The official in 
charge told me confidentially that he had three hours' 
work before him for his entire staff before the entry of 
my car into Germany would be satisfactorily accomplished, 
as it was necessary for him to send notices of the entry of 
the car all over Germany. 

At 2.50, we were ofif again. Two kilometers beyond the 
frontier, cobbled roads were left and the old macadam was 
once more under us. Great speed was made, and Cleve, 
Xanten and Mors were soon left behind. Dlisseldorf was 
reached at 4.20, just as it was getting dark. The road is 
good the entire way, many tangents being encountered. The 
towns, as is usual in Germany, are clean and prosperous 
looking. 

Dlisseldorf is an up-to-date place, with large boulevards, 
fine buildings and splendid hotels, the Park and Palast Hotels 
being the best. 

Afternoon's run, 134 kilometers, in 3 hours and 35 minutes. 
Day's run, 229 kilometers, in 5 hours and 5 minutes. 

[119] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1909 
At Diisseldorf. As our usual luck had it, it rained all day. 

SATURDAY, JANUARY 1, 1910 

More rain. Left Diisseldorf at 9.15 for Frankfurt. The 
road to Cologne is uninteresting. This town was reached 
at 10.05, and it being New Year's day, we stopped in front 
of the cathedral to attend Mass and see the church. The 
cathedral is Gothic, and very fine. 

At Cologne, crossed the Rhine on a magnificent old bridge. 
At 10.15, off again for Coblence, where we arrived at 12.15. 
Stopped for lunch at the Hotel Belle-Vue. Poor and dirty. 
The town itself is situated on the Rhine, and has a rather 
interesting appearance. Morning's run, 120 kilometers in 
2 hours and 50 minutes. From Bonn on, the road becomes 
interesting. Old castles are to be seen and many fine vil- 
lages passed. The mountains which skirt the banks on 
either side of the Rhine are very grand and imposing. 

Just before entering Coblence, we crossed the Moselle 
River, a beautiful stream, to which I have already referred in 
my trips from Paris to Frankfurt. 

At 2.05, after a poor meal, Coblence was left behind. We 
took the road to Frankfurt by way of Ems, Schwalbach and 
Weisbaden, through an interesting country, which at this 
time of the year is far less attractive than it was on my last 
visit during the summer months. Snow was encountered 
on the tops of the hills, but gave us no inconvenience. 

At Frankfurt, the Fiirsten-Hof Palast Hotel, Frankfurter- 
Hof and English er-Hof are the best hotels. 

Run during the afternoon, 117 kilometers. Total distance 
for day, 237 kilometers, covered in 5 hours and 20 minutes. 

It is rather curious that during the entire run of 237 

[120] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

kilometers only one carriage was passed on the road outside 
the town limits. I account for this by the fact that it was 
New Year's day. 

SUNDAY, JANUARY 2, 1910 

Cloudy weather. Owing to Mr. Payne being compelled to 
return to Paris for a couple of days, I decided to take the 
train that evening and let the mechanic proceed with the 
car from here to the factory at Unterturkheim, 10 kilo- 
meters outside of Stuttgart, where the engine was to be 
overhauled. 

At 1.30 p. M., the car was on the road for Pforzheim, 152 
kilometers distant. The latter town was reached at 5.30, 
or in four hours' running time. The road is flat and un- 
interesting, lying along the valley of the Rhine. 

MONDAY, JANUARY 3, 1910 

Fine. The mechanic left Pforzheim at 8.20 for Stuttgart, 
arriving without any mishap at 9.40 over a good road, 
traversing a rolling country. Day's run, 67 kilometers, 
covered in 1 hour and 20 minutes. 

TUESDAY, JANUARY 4, 1910, AND WEDNESDAY, 
JANUARY 5, 1910 

Car at factory. 

THURSDAY, JANUARY 6, 1910 

Mr. Payne and I arrived from Paris on the Orient Ex- 
press at 6.40 A. M. We had breakfast at the Marquardt 
Hotel, and by 8.30 were under way in the car for Nurem- 
berg, by way of Gaildorf, Feuchtewangen and Ansbach. 
Distance, 183 kilometers, covered in 5 hours and 5 minutes 

[121] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

over a wet road, the surface of which, although slippery, was 
good. Rain, as usual, was encountered. 

We stopped at Feuchtewangen at the Hotel de la Poste, for 
lunch, at 12.05 p. m. Very poor. The town itself is rather 
attractive and quaint in appearance, and the architecture 
of the houses interesting. 

Our morning's run of 115 kilometers took us through a 
superb country. Several small mountains were crossed and 
a number of small forests traversed. The route resembles 
a drive through a well-kept park more than an ordinary 
highway. 

At 1.20, after lunch, we left for Nuremberg. The country 
resembles that traversed during the morning, although the 
villages, as Nuremberg is approached, become more pic- 
turesque and the architecture of the houses very interesting. 

At 2.50 the gates of the town were reached. We had 
covered the last 68 kilometers in 1 hour and 30 minutes. 
There are several hotels, but the Grand is the best. 

FRIDAY, JANUARY 7, 1910 

No rain to-day, but our usual luck being with us we had 
instead such a thick fog that it was impossible to see the 
tops of the buildings. As the roofs are the most interesting 
objects in the town, we were much disappointed at not see- 
ing them. Visited the museum, which contains the finest 
Gothic collection in the world; also the "Bierstube," the 
first saloon, an invention or discovery which, could it have 
been patented, would have made its inventors rich. We saw 
the picturesque hunting lodge of Baron Tucherhaus, and 
drove around the town to look at the city walls, which are 
finer than any I have ever seen. 

The color scheme of the houses and their quaintness are 
most pleasing. The architecture in general dates back to 

[ 122 ] 




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the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, at which time most of 
the building's were erected. Thanks to the care the Govern- 
ment has given to these edifices, spending endless sums of 
money for their preservation, their appearance at the pres- 
ent time is practically the same as when they were origi- 
nally erected. 

As one strolls through the streets, one sees beautiful carv- 
ings, old Gothic churches and innumerable little picturesque 
squares. Second-hand shops also, where all kinds of articles 
can be purchased for a mere trifle, make it easy for the 
visitor to spend a few days most delightfully in this little 
paradise. 

SATURDAY, JANUARY 8, 1910 

Another day spent sight-seeing. Visited the town hall, 
where a fine old banquet-room has been ruined by the re- 
moval of the decorations and the wooden chandeliers painted 
with flaring gold paint. 

The dungeons under the town hall are very interesting, 
and we visited many of the cells. The underground passage 
to the castle situated well on top of the hill, within a mile of 
the town hall, is still open, and will repay a visit In olden 
days, the prisoners had to walk through this passage to get 
their water. 

Later we saw the castle, a well-fortified old edifice, crown- 
ing a hill, and dating back to the eleventh century. The 
interior has been renovated and brought up-to-date, electric 
light and simple furnishings making it most habitable. The 
old tower of the castle contains the various implements of 
torture used in the olden days; they are quite terrifying to 
look at. The instruments were still in use in 1803. The 
famous "Iron Maiden" is installed here, and a more cruel 
death would be hard to imagine. 

We visited also several private houses containing fine courts 

[ 125 ] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

of carved wood. Saw and drank in the first wine cellar ever 
built. It is now used as an underground restaurant. 



SUNDAY, JANUARY 9, 1910 

At 7.50 A. M., left for Rothenberg, 78 kilometers distant 
Arrived at 9.20, a 1 hour and 30 minutes' run over a good 
road. Fog and occasional rains. 

The villages are most interesting and picturesque. Roth- 
enberg boasts that no house has been erected in it for the 
last four hundred years. The Hotel Hirsch is very quaint, 
good and clean. The town is interesting, and worth visiting. 
There is a fine view from the ramparts, but the town hall 
and church are disappointing. 

At 10.50 we left for Augsbourg, by way of Feuchtewangen, 
32 kilometers distant — our lunching place during the last 
day's run. Also passed through the town of Dinkelsbuhl, 
13 kilometers farther, a well-fortified place, with a large 
church and many interesting houses. 

The country from here on changes its aspect. The hills 
and small mountains are lost to view and a well-cultivated 
plain is entered. The road surface is good, but much re- 
paired in spots. 

It is interesting to note the change in the architecture of 
the houses. These now began to assume an entirely differ- 
ent aspect. The roofs are no longer red tiled, but made of 
slate. Three and four-story mansions are replaced by one- 
story structures, and the wooden beams on the exterior of 
the houses, which give those around Nuremberg the ap- 
pearance of a Normandy village, are here replaced by plain 
whitewashed buildings. The well-cobbled streets, neat and 
clean on every side, are replaced by streets of dirt and 
filth. Still, the more important towns, such as Nordlingen 
and Donauworth, have a cleanly appearance. 

[126] 




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At Harburg-i-Schwaben there is a fine old fortified castle. 
Owing to lack of time we could not stop to examine it. At 
2.00 p. M. sharp, we punctured the right hand back tire and 
found it necessarj'' to change the inner and outer shoes. 
Forty-five minutes were consumed in making rej^airs. At 
3.05 p. M., we were at the Palace Hotel, Augsbourg, where 
we stopped for lunch. The town is clean and picturesque. 
It contains a fine old cathedral, and on some of the houses 
pictures had been painted over the entire front. One of 
these, belonging to Herr Fuka, is considered very fine. 

Morning's run, 225 kilometers, in 5 hours' running time. 

At 4.05 P.M., we got under way again. Sixty-nine kilometers 
separated us from Munich. We were lucky enough to find a 
good road, passing mostly through plains, a few small hills only 
being encountered after we had reached the town of Bruck. 

At 6.15, we drew up at the hotel in Munich. 

DAY'S RUN 

Kil. Time 

Left Nuremberg 7.50 a. m. 

Arrived at Rothenberg 78 9.20 a. m. 

Left Rothenberg 78 10.50 a. m. 

Arrived at Feuchtewangen 110 11.40 a.m. 

Arrived at Dinkelsbuhl 123 12.05 p. m. 

Arrived at Nordlingen 154 1.00 p. m. 

Arrived at Donauworth 183 1.35 p. m. 

Arrived at Augsbourg 226 3.05 p. m. 

Left Augsbourg 226 4.50 p. m. 

Arrived at ^Munich 295 6.15 p. m. 

Note: A delay of 45 minutes between Donauworth and 
Augsbourg for punctured tire. 

Day's run, 295 kilometers in 6 hours and 25 minutes. 

[129] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

MONDAY, JANUARY 10, 1910 
At Munich, sight-seeing. 

TUESDAY, JANUARY 11, 1910 

Beautiful day. Left at 12.50 p. m. for the town of 
Salzburg, situated at the foot of the Austrian Tyrol. Unfor- 
tvuiately, our baggage had by this time grown to such pro- 
portions, owing to our purchases at the different towns, that 
the parcels, bags and boxes hung from all parts of the 
motor, giving it more the appearance of an express wagon 
than a private touring car. We found snow on the road 
after leaving Ebersberg, which increased or decreased in 
depth as we ascended or descended the hills. 

Wasserburg, a very picturesque old town, situated on the 
banks of the River Inn, was reached at 2.00 p. m. We 
stopped on a precipitous road leading from the top of the 
mountain to the town, and partook of lunch from the well- 
filled basket we had brought with us from Munich. 

We were once more under way forty-five minutes later for 
Salzburg. The route had now become quite hilly, and to 
the south the Tyrolean Alps loomed up to a great height. 
The road was wet and slippery from the melting snow, and 
our progress was somewhat retarded; but being blessed, for 
the second time since leaving Paris, with a view of the sun, 
we complained but little of this discomfort. 

Freilassing, on the German frontier, was reached at 
4.35 p. M., and we were fortunate enough to find a cour- 
teous official who reimbursed us for our deposit in i-ecord 
time. One hundred yards farther on the Austrian frontier 
was reached. Bavaria was left behind, and we now en- 
tered Bohemia. A deposit of 2,190 kolns was made with 
the douanniere, and 5.00 p. m. found us speeding down the 

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road to Salzburg, 6 kilometers distant. At 5.08, we drew 
up in front of the hotel. There are two good hotels in 
the town, the Hotel Bristol and the Hotel de I'Europe. 
Salzburg at this time of the year is a deserted place. 
The town is clean and has several theaters, and one or two 
boulevards. It is beautifully situated at the foot of the 
Tyrolean Alps. 

The day's run of 134 kilometers was covered in 3 hours 
and 8 minutes. 

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 12, 1910 

At 9.25 A. M., our car was pointed north towards the town 
of Linz. During the night a severe frost had turned the 
highwaj^ into a veritable skating rink, and for a few minutes 
after leaving Salzburg we slid about in a most dangerous 
way. We finally managed to stop, and adjusted the chains 
to the tires on the back wheels. This improved the running 
somewhat, and added much to the safety of the car and its 
occupants. The view now of the fast disappearing moun- 
tains was grand. Owing to some strange oversight on the 
part of the clerk of the weather, we were blessed with 
another beautiful day. 

We encountered considerable snow over the first few miles, 
and at one point of the road ran into a drift, from which 
it took us ten minutes to clear the car. 

The route is rather interesting, being mountainous at first, 
with a gradual descent to a plain, which is entered just be- 
fore reaching the town of Lambach. The villages are rather 
ordinary in appearance, possessing little of picturesque in- 
terest to the traveler. 

Bocklaruck, Schwanenstach and Lambach were all en- 
tered and left by arched gateways. The general lay-out 
of the towns is as follows: one large main street, entered 

[ 133 ] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

through an archway, broadening towards the center of the 
town, and tapering down again to the exit on the other side, 
at which point one leaves through another arch. At the 
widest point, in the middle, there is a fountain, usually 
rather interesting architecturally. 

In all these towns the inhabitants seem to have been 
endeavoring to improve the houses, by adding to their tops 
a fake story in which windows and blinds are inserted. 

Lambach, 60 kilometers from Salzburg, was reached at 
11.45. Passed through without stopping, and much to our 
joy, found a fairly good road to Linz, free of snow, but 
muddy. 

The next place of importance en route was the town of 
Wels, and then came Linz, situated on the banks of the 
River Danube. The latter town, which is 65 kilometers 
from Lambach, was reached at 1.00 p. m. We stopped 
for lunch at the Hotel Erzherzog Karl, the best in the 
town. 

The town, clean and up-to-date, contains little by way 
of interest to the tourist. The museum, and second-hand 
curiosity shops, where numerous small articles can be pur- 
chased at extraordinary low prices, are perhaps the only 
places to visit. 

The usual trying weather conditions prevailed in the after- 
noon, that is to say, the rain came down in such quantities 
that it was found necessary to delay our departure from Linz 
until the following morning. 

Total day's run, 125 kilometers, in 3 hours and 35 minutes. 

THURSDAY, JANUARY 13, 1910 

At 9.25 A. M., the sky having cleared, and the prospects 
being good for an enjoyable day's run to Vienna, we departed 
for the town of St. Polten, where we stopped for lunch at 

[134] 





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12.35. The morning's run of 126 kilometers was covered in 
3 hours and 10 minutes. 

The country traversed is a rich farming country, rolling 
in appearance, and now and then permitting the motorist 
to obtain fine views of the mountains to the north and south. 

At the town of Melp, 2 kilometers before reaching St. 
Polten, a wide plain is entered, through which the road runs 
until within about 30 kilometers of Vienna. 

The villages through this section of the country are unin- 
teresting. I took a photograph of one, the reproduction of 
which gives a fairly good idea of the general architecture of 
the houses in this vicinity. 

St. Polten, a queer little place, and rather attractive in 
appearance, was left behind at 1.50. We now began the 
last part of our day's run to Vienna, 63 kilometers distant. 

When within 30 kilometers of the capital of Austria, we 
left behind the level plain we had been traversing since 
leaving the town of Melp, and began the highest climb of 
the day, which, I judge, must have been about 2,500 feet. 
Many fine views of the surrounding country are here to be 
obtained. At the summit, owing to ice and snow, we found it 
again necessary to put chains on the wheels. Then, without 
any further delay, we made the descent into the beautiful 
city of Vienna, reaching the hotel at 3.10 p. m. A week 
can easily be spent here. The picture galleries, theaters, 
restaurants, museums, boulevards and fine drives have not 
their equal in any other city in the world. 

The day's run of 189 kilometers was covered in 4 hours 
and 30 minutes. 

FRIDAY, JANUARY 14, 1910 
Spent sight-seeing. 

[137] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

SATURDAY, JANUARY 15, 1910 

As usual, rain and snow. As we had now become accus- 
tomed to this kind of weather, we left at 9.25 A. M. for 
Budapest. A nasty, wet road with the surface in poor 
condition. The party that left Vienna was not a very 
cheerful one. 

We shaped our course for the town of Raab, and passed 
through an uninteresting country, reminding us of the west- 
ern prairies of the United States. Little to be seen for 
miles in any direction, and villages are few and far apart, 
the country not being adapted to farming. 

At 12.00 sharp, we arrived at the Hotel Royale, in the 
town of Raab, where, much to our surprise, we found good 
food and clean rooms awaiting us. 

The morning's run, of 125 kilometers, was covered in 2 
hours and 35 minutes. We were now in "beautiful Hun- 
gary," but as we had seen nothing so far in the way of beauty 
of scenery, our expectations were entirely disappointed. We 
had always heard of the natural wonders of this little Empire. 

Raab was left behind at 2.00 p. M., and the run of 132 
kilometers separating us from the town of Budapest begun. 
At 5.50, or 3 hours and 50 minutes later, we drew up in 
front of the hotel. 

The route proved more interesting than the morning's run, 
but the road in places was very bad. In one place where 
the highway was being raised on a ten or eleven-foot fill, we 
had to take to the field for three or four kilometers, as no 
other road is available for the traveler, who is here left to 
pick his way over the surrounding country, to the best of 
his ability. 

Sixty kilometers from Budapest, the mountains again 
appeared, and at 40 kilometers, we started to climb. We 
soon ran into snow, and as it was getting dark, we stopped 

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to light our lamps and put chains on the rear wheels. The 
last part of this journey was through a fine country, very 
wild in appearance. 

Buda suddenly appeared in front of us; situated on the 
banks of the River Danube. It is one of the finest cities I 
have ever seen. 

Stopped at the Hotel Hungaria. Excellent in every way. 

Day's run, 257 kilometers, in 6 hours and 25 minutes. 



SUNDAY, JANUARY. 16, MONDAY, JANUARY 17, AND 
TUESDAY, JANUARY 18, 1910 

Spent the three days at Budapest, sight-seeing. 

The roads between the two towns being in bad shape, 
and the passes over the mountains that had to be crossed 
blocked with snow, I shipped the car to Trieste by train, on 
the morning of the sixteenth. On the evening of the eight- 
eenth, Mr. Payne and I left for Monfalcone, a town just 
north of Trieste, where we expected to find the car and the 
mechanic awaiting us. x\t 8.00 p. m., we were comfortably 
installed in a stateroom of the sleeping car of the Compagnie 
des Wagons-Lits. We had enjoyed a good dinner and every- 
thing went well until breakfast the following morning. 



WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 19, 1910 

The dining car having been removed, we left the train 
to take breakfast in the station restaurant at the junction 
where passengers for Trieste change cars, while those who 
go through to Venice keep on the train in which we had slept. 
Breakfast being over, I was again in my compartment, 
prepared to leave it in half an hour's time at Monfalcone. 
To my surprise, Mr. Payne was nowhere to be found. It 
then occurred to me that he must have gotten on the wrong 

[141] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

train, and gone on to Trieste. As he was without either 
hat, coat or money, I was somewhat worried. Neverthe- 
less, I packed up his luggage and on descending at Mon- 
falcone i^laced it on the car that was there to meet me, 
and returned as quickly as possible to Trieste. Here, after 
an hour's delay, I discovered Mr. Payne wandering through 
the streets. He had procured sufficient funds from the 
American Consul with which to buy a hat, coat and a ticket 
to Venice. 

Normal conditions once more restored, we departed from 
Trieste at 11.20, en route for Venice. The road is picturesque 
and resembles to a great extent the Upper Corniche. It 
skirts the Adriatic and rises, just after leaving Trieste, to a 
height of a couple of thousand feet. 

Monfalcone, the place we had intended to leave about 
9.00 A. M., is 36 kilometers from Trieste. We traversed it 
again at 12 o'clock. 

At 12.30, the Austrian frontier was reached, and the 
regular formalities were gone through rapidly. There was 
no money to be paid us, the Government not having a suffi- 
cient deposit on hand at this place. On occasions of this 
kind, the tourist gives his name and address and a month or 
so later he receives a check covering the deposit. 

The Italian frontier being some distance off, and over a 
tortuous road with many turns, the customs official con- 
sented to accompany us to that point. Here, while waiting 
for the necessary papers to be made out, we enjoyed the 
luncheon we had brought with us from Budapest, which, 
although it had been prepared the night before, we found 
exceedingly good. 

The officials were courteous to a degree, and by 2.00 p. m., 
the papers having been properly executed, we started on 
our way. 

The road is fairly good, the towns interesting, and the 

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people, especially the women, are attractive in appearance. 
Their faces, unlike those to be seen in the countries we had 
just left behind, are not expressionless. 

From Monfalcone on, we entered a plain on which we 
continued for the remaining part of the day. The country 
is rich in grape vines, old churches and attractive villages. 
The arcades that line the streets of these last are very in- 
teresting, although they are clumsy in appearance. 

Trevise, a well -fortified town, was reached at 4. -40, and, 
from here on the road over the remaining 19 kilometers to 
Mestre reminds one very much of Bellevue Avenue, New- 
port, Rhode Island. Villas line the road on both sides, and 
beautiful parks, fine gardens, magnificent trees and handsome 
entrance-gates are to be seen all along the way. 

Mester, 176 kilometers from Trieste, was reached at 
5.00 p. M. As this is the nearest place of approach to Venice 
by automobile, we left the car in the garage and took the 
train, which runs every few minutes, to the city of the 
Doges. 

The total day's run had been 212 kilometers, made in 4 
hours and 10 minutes, adding the extra 36 kilometers for 
the return jovu-ney from Monfalcone to Trieste. 

We spent the night at Venice, and jNIr. Payne, wishing to 
see some friends of his living at Vicenza, bade me good-bj^e 
in the morning. I left by myself for the to^^^a of Genoa, 
which I hoped to reach that evening. 

THURSDAY, JANUARY 20, 1910 

At 9.45 A. Ji., I was under way for Mantova, Avhere I in- 
tended to lunch. Passed through the towns of Padova and 
Legnago, which were interesting and picturesque. Apart 
from the villages, the country is uninteresting and flat. 
Mountains showed themselves during the early part of the 

[ 145 ] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

ride, but the route skirts the foot of the hills and the grade 

of the road does not change. 

At 1.00 p. M., I drew up in front of the Hotel Aquien Doro, 

where I stopped for lunch. The restaurant is clean, but the 

bedrooms are not very inviting. 

Morning's run: 

Kil. 

Mestre to Padova 44 

Padova to Este 30 

Este to Legnago 32 

Legnago to Mantova 46 

Total 152 

At 2.15, I left Mantova behind and a fine stretch of flat, 
good road was before me to the town of Cremona, 68 kilo- 
meters distant. At this point the River Po is crossed, and 
half an hour later Piacenza appeared on the horizon. The 
country to Piacenza is very fertile, grape vines being abun- 
dant in all directions. 

The Route National was now left, and my course shaped 
southwest towards Genoa over the Bobbio Pass. It was 
not long before the mountains appeared in the distance, a 
grand sight with their crests covered with heavy clouds. I 
congratulated myself on not being twenty-four hours later, 
as I felt assured that a storm was fast approaching. 

At Rivergaro, some 20 kilometers south of Piacenza, I 
began to ascend. The scenery is fine. On arriving at 
Bobbio, darkness having set in, I lit the lamps. Being 
hungry, I stopped at a small inn, which would not accom- 
modate the ordinary tourist, and had some chocolate and 
fresh eggs. Somewhat strengthened by this repast, my prog- 
ress seemed somewhat easier over the tortuous pass. 

The road is good, although full of curves. The scenery is 
magnificent. Genoa was reached at 9.45 p. m., and for 

[146] 




ROAD SKIRTING THE MEDITERRANEAN 
BETWEEN GENOA AND MONTE CARLO 




STREET SCENE IN VILLAGE ON ROAD 
BETWEEN GENOA AND MONTE CARLO 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

once the rain held off until my arrival at the hotel. Ten 
minutes later a frightful downpour occurred, and in the 
morning I was informed that the pass I had traversed the 
night befoi'e was buried in over three feet of snow along its 
route. 

FRIDAY, JANUARY 21, 1910 

A beautiful day. At 11.25 A. M., I left Genoa behind. 
The town boasts of many a good hotel, is full of life, clean, 
up-to-date, and is Italy's largest shipping port. Owing to 
the tremendous amount of traffic, my progress at first was 
very slow. Nevertheless, Savona, 90 kilometers distant, 
was reached at 12.55. I stopped at the Hotel Suisse for 
lunch. Exceedingly poor. The route between Genoa and 
Savona skirts the Mediterranean, and although in good shape, 
fast time was impossible owing to the numerous turnings 
and the constant crossing and re-crossing of railroad tracks 
at grades. 

The villages through this section are dirty, with narrow, 
badly paved streets, and with open sewers running through 
the middle. The car practically occupies the entire space 
between the houses, and pedestrians are compelled to stand 
in the doorways when one attempts to pass them. Many of 
the houses are connected by archways overhead. Fishing 
seems to be the industry of these villages. 

At 2.05 p. M., Savona was left behind. Albenga, Porto 
Maurizio, Saint Remo and Bordighera were all reached in 
good time, the Italian frontier at Ventimiglia being passed 
at 5.35 p. M. The last three towns have much the same 
appearance as Nice and Cannes. They are the Italian 
Riviera resorts, with good hotels, fine villas and first-class 
restaurants. The Italian douane at this point was up-to- 
date, and five minutes only were required to regain my 
deposit which had been made upon entering Italy. The 

[149] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

French douane also holds the record for despatch, only five 
minutes being required at this custom house to prepare 
the papers for entering France. 

Darkness had now set in, so I lit my headlights. Monte 
Carlo, Monaco, Beaulieu and Nice were reached in quick 
time, the latter town at 6.50 p. m., where I stopped for the 
night. 

Day's run, 245 kilometers, in 6 hours and 5 minutes. 

I experienced somewhat of a disappointment as I passed 
in front of the Casino at Monte Carlo without descending 
from the car. The old place looked the same, and very 
inviting. Nevertheless I had hopes of going through to St. 
Raphael that evening to stop with my sister, so that a stay 
over of a few hours was out of the question. 



SATURDAY, JANUARY 22, 1910 

At 9.25 A. M., I left for St. Raphael by way of Cannes and 
the Esterel Mountains. On leaving Cannes, I encountered 
snow, much to my surprise. As I ascended the Esterel, the 
snow increased in depth to twelve inches. Chains were put 
on the back wheels and slow progress made; but at 11.00 
A. M. I reached Valescure, where my sister was stopping. 
After descending, the car was taken back to Nice and laid 
up in the garage until my next visit to Europe. Day's run, 
73 kilometers, in 1 hour and 35 minutes. 



[ 150 ] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 



SUMMARY OF TRIP 









KU. 


Time 




Paris to Reims . 162 


3.30 




Reims to Brussels . . . 






258 


4.35 




Brussels to Bruges . . 






95 


2.30 


1 punctured tire 


Bruges to Antwerp . . 






98 


2.30 




Antwerp to Rotterdam 






91 


3.15 




Rotterdam to Amsterdam 




86 


4.00 




Amsterdam to Dusseldorf 




229 


5.05 




Dtisseldorf to Frankfurt . 




237 


5.20 




Frankfurt to Pforzheim 






152 


4.00 




Pforzheim to Stuttgart 






67 


1.20 




Stuttgart to Nuremberg 






183 


5.05 




Nuremberg to Munich . 






295 


6.25 


1 punctured tire 


Munich to Salzburg . . 






134 


3.08 




Salzburg to Linz . . . 






125 


3.35 




Linz to Vienna .... 






189 

257 


4.30 
6.25 




Vienna to Budapest . . 








Budapest to Monfalcone, by 






train 






Monfalcone to Mestre .... 212 


4.10 




Mestre to Genoa 393 


10.25 




Genoa to Nice 245 


6.05 




Nice to Valescure . . . 






73 


1.35 





Total 3,582 87.28 2 punctured tires 



[151] 



TRIP 



THROUGH SPAIN AND PORTUGAL 
FEBRUARY 11 TO MARCH 15 



1911 



THROUGH SPAIN AND PORTUGAL 

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1911 




PAIN, which occupies the greater portion of 
the Iberian Peninsula, hes at the southwest- 
ern extremity of Europe. It is a land full 
of interest and rich in the beauty and even 
grandeur of its natural scenery as well as in 
the works of its people. For some unknown reason it re- 
mains a little-known land, rarely visited by the automobilist. 
And yet here may be seen, half hidden in superb valleys, 
or scattered here and there over far-reaching plains, the 
rare architectural remains of past ages, the works of Phoeni- 
cians, Moors, Greeks and Romans, who each in turn con- 
quered, and to a greater or less extent overran, this land. 

My purpose, in this chapter, is to give my readers a 
record of a trip I lately made, in sufficient detail to supply 
the needed information to those who may be disposed to 
tour through a country, where the people are kindly dis- 
posed, where roads turn abruptly from good to bad, and 
where rivers have to be forded and streams bridged. 

It was on the morning of Saturday, February 11, 1911, 
that Mr. Payne made ready my 60-H. P. Mercedes car and 
left Nice for the little winter resort of Valescure, where 
he was to pick me up at my sister's villa, preparatory to 

[155] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

undertaking with me an extended trip through Spain and 
Portugal. 

The car was equipped with a tonneau body and Michelin 
tires. A hood and trunk rack in the back, with PrestoUte 
tank, several extra shoes and a complete set of tools, com- 
prised our equipment. 

Mr. Payne left Nice at 10.35 a.m., and at 12. 10, having safely 
crossed the Esterel Mountains, he and the mechanic drew up 
at my sister's villa in Valescure, 73 kilometers distant. 

Running time, 1 hour and 35 minutes. 

Having lunched, Mr. Payne and I started for Marseilles 
at 2.30. The route chosen passed through Le Luc, St. 
Maximin and Trets. At Le Luc, 42 kilometers from Vales- 
cure, we stopped for ten minutes to procure some oil, which 
the mechanic had forgotten to bring along. 

On approaching Brignoles, an old man driving a cart on 
the left-hand side of the road was rudely awakened by the 
sound of the horn. He was quick to respond to our warning 
and drove immediately over to the right. Unfortunately, 
however, owing to his age or his curiosity, he looked back 
just as we were about to pass, and at the same time pulled 
his horse across the road. The collision was inevitable. I 
turned the car sideways and applied the brakes. Both the 
wagon with its horse and the automobile slid down the road 
after the impact for some fifty-odd feet, when the right- 
hand axle of the two-wheeled cart snapped, dropping the 
old man out on the road. Fortunately, he missed the wheels 
of the car, and except for a general shaking up, suffered 
no other hurt. But now, as usual, people appeared to rise 
up from the ground, and where, prior to the accident, no one 
had been in sight, a dozen were now running in on us from 
all directions. The peasants had evidently witnessed the 
accident, and took it that we were not to blame, and so were 
kindly disposed. After ten minutes had elapsed, we were 

[156] 




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once more under way, no damage having occurred to the 
car, the only loss being three hundred francs from my pocket- 
book, to replace the old man's wagon and some of his harness. 

From Trets on, the route is most picturesque. A canyon 
is followed for some of the distance, and although the road 
is tortuous for the last 40 kilometers, I believe it to be the 
most feasible route for approaching Marseilles from Nice. 
The surface is good, and the traffic not as dense as on the 
other main roads. 

We drew up in front of the hotel at 5.45, having accom- 
plished the afternoon's run in 3 hours and 5 minutes. Total 
for day, 4 hours and 40 minutes. Distance, 222 kilometers. 



Marseilles. Hotels < 



Grand Hotel du Louvre et de la Paix 
Regina Hotel 

Hotel de Noailles et Metropole 
Hotel de Russie et d'iVngleterre 



SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1911 

A dismal day with much rain greeted us on rising. 
Nevertheless, we braved the weather, and at 9.45 set out 
for Aries, 88 kilometers distant, where it was our intention 
to lunch. We chose the route by Rognac and Salon and 
obtained several fine views of the Mediterranean, skirting, 
for several kilometers, the Etang de Berre, which is a large 
enclosed lake surrounded by olive trees and fairly good 
vineyards. 

At Salon, the plain is entered, and for 39 kilometers a road 
with only one slight curve is traversed, so that the traveler 
is glad when Aries comes in sight, which it did in our case 
at 11.50, after a morning's run of 2 hours and 5 minutes. 

We stopped at the Hotel de Forum, which had been much 
improved in the last few veai's, and enjoyed a fairly good 

'[ 161 ] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

lunch. After lunch, we hired a landau and although the 
rain was coming down in torrents, we visited the Roman 
amphitheater, the old graveyard, the museum and several 
churches. 

We were once again under way by 2.50 p. M. The River 
Rhone was crossed on the outskirts of the town, and we made 
a course for St. Gilles, 18 kilometers distant from Aries. 
From here we hoped to reach Lunel and Montpellier, where 
we expected to stop for the night. At St. Gilles, however, 
owing to the rain and our haste, we took the wrong road, 
and found ourselves, after a run of some 20 kilometers, in 
the town of Nimes. 

The route from Aries had been winding, but the surface 
is good, the country flat and full of vineyards. There was 
some mud on the surface, which made the going hard, but 
by 3.50 p. M. we were in front of the old Roman amphi- 
theater at Nimes, which we would have been glad to visit 
had the rain kept off. 

At 4.00 p. M., we headed for Montpellier over the Route 
National. We passed through Lunel at 4.30, 27 kilometers 
from Nimes, and promptly at 5.00 drew up at Montpellier, 
where we stayed the night. 

Distance covered for the day, 171 kilometers, in 4 hours 
and 5 minutes. 

Tv^ , ,,. TT . 1 J Grand Hotel. Good 

Montpelher. Hotels i tt i i i i.*^ i -^ i 

[ Hotel de la Metropole. Good 

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1911 

Left the hotel at 10.15 a. m., and at 10.25 were on our 
way for Narbonne, where we intended to lunch. As far as 
Gigean the road is hilly, and many fine views of the sur- 
rounding country are to be obtained. I took a photograph 
showing a planter's home and the vineyards surrounding it. 

[ 162 ] 





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From Gigean to Neze, the Etang de Thau is skirted, 
another large, interior lake, separated from the Mediter- 
ranean by a narrow sand-bank only. The little town of 
Cette was plainly visible on the opposite shore of the lake, 
situated on the solitary bluff rising from this sand-bank. 
From Meze to Adge we once more obtained some good views 
of the Etang de Thau, and traveled through a country 
mostly flat and fairly fertile. From Adge to Beziers we 
skirted the Canal du INIidi. We stopped here to take another 
picture. 

Beziers was entered at l^.SO. On the occasion of my 
previous passage through this village, I had taken a photo- 
graph of the ramparts from the bridge. These ramparts 
are rather fine. The town with its parks and several boule- 
vards has the appearance of being a prosperous place. 

Narbonne, 26 kilometers from Beziers, came next. A 
rather hilly country separates the two towns, and it was 
from the top of one of these hills that we obtained our first 
glimpse of the Pyrenees. 

At 12.55 we were installed at the Grand Hotel for lunch. 
(Fair.) Morning's run, 2 hours and 30 minutes. Distance 
covered, 100 kilometers. At 2.50, after having taken a 
picture of the street in front of the hotel, we left for Per- 
pignan. For the first twenty kilometers, the same hilly 
country was encountered, and another large, interior lake, 
called the Etang de Bages, was skirted. From Sigean, the 
road is flat, although on our right low hills are in close 
proximity. 

Port de la Nouvelle, situated on the shores of the Mediter- 
ranean, came next. It has all the appearance of a bathing 
resort. At Les Cabanes, the Etang de Lucate, another large, 
interior lake, was skirted for some fifteen kilometers, and here 
the aspect of the country is wild and barren. 

Fifteen kilometers from Perpignan, an abandoned fort, 

[165] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

called Fort de Salses, was seen to our right. We turned off 
down one of the small by-ways and took several photo- 
graphs of the old edifice, which is worth looking at. 

From this point on, a large, well-cultivated plain stretches 
before the motorist, and vine.yards are to be seen in all 
directions. Perpignan was reached at 4.25, after an after- 
noon's run of 1 hour and 35 minutes, during which time 
we covered 71 kilometers, making a total for the day's run 
of 171 kilometers, in 4 hours and 5 minutes. 

Perpignan is a cjuaint town of narrow streets and full of 
bustle. There are several old buildings to be seen, and the 
Porte Notre Dame is a relic well worth looking at. 

T, . TT , ; f Grand Hotel. Good 

Perpignan. Hotels 1 tt . i i ^ x 

[ Hotel de la Loge 



TUESDAY, FEBRUARY U, 1911 

At 9.00 sharp, we were raising the dust on the Route Na- 
tional, along which we quickly drove in the direction of the 
foot-hills of the snow-capped Pyrenees. Mt. Alveras, with 
its peak covered by deep snow, rose high directly in front, 
a splendid sight. Then, before we realized it, we were 
climbing the pass that separated us from Spain. To our 
surprise its altitude was low, only several thousand feet, I 
should say, leading through a winding gorge, wild, and bare 
of timber. 

It was 9.50, and behold the French douane! Our pass- 
avant was soon prepared, and then half a kilometer farther, 
a very courteous official of the Spanish customs proceeded 
to extract from us 1,800 francs in gold, this being the 
necessary deposit recjuired by law for the admittance of a 
motor car into Spain. At 10.50, we were free, and we 
quickly slid down the western side of the mountain. 

[166] 




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The road to Figueras proved good, except for a stretch 
of five kilometers wliich was being repaired. Several streams 
were forded, and at 11.30 we were overtaken by a shower. 
At Figueras we entered a fertile plain, and here, at 11.50, 
we stopped ten kilometers south of the town and proceeded 
to attack our lunch basket. This basket was destined to 
save us from much hardship before the end of our trip, 
and we soon came to look upon it as one of our most 
valuable assets. 

By 12.40 we were once more under way, crunching the 
stones under our wheels. And what stones! Littering the 
road in every direction, their points sharp and vigly, it was 
only by great good fortvme that we escaped puncturing 
many tires. Suddenly the Fluvia River appeared. We 
gazed at it in anxiety, for there was no bridge spanning it. 
What kind of bottom, soft or hard, and how deep the water, 
we were at a loss to tell; but it was ford or turn back, so 
with a speed of 30 kilometers an hour we entered the east- 
ern side. A bow wave rose high over the radiator, giving 
us somewhat of a shower bath, but luck was with us, and 
except for a ducking we experienced no mishap. The water 
reached a depth of about four feet, and in some places mud 
was encountered. I have since been told that after a hard 
rain it is impossible to ford any of these streams in south- 
ern Spain with cars, their rise being very rapid, frequently 
causing a depth of from six to eight feet. 

We were now rising rapidly, and the valley was soon left 
far below us. 

At Gerona we crossed the River Ter. After taking a 
photograph showing the general aspect of the houses along 
the banks of the stream, we entered on what might be 
termed our final dash for the sea, which we skirted from 
Malgrat on to Barcelona. Up, up, into the hills we went, 
with grand views of the Sierra de Moseny Mountains on 

[171] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

our right, and on several occasions glimpses of the Med- 
iterranean. In our course we forded many streams; I 
should say twenty small ones and at least five of substan- 
tial size. "Thank-you-ma'ams," planned to a nicety by 
the engineers and suddenly appearing in the most impos- 
sible places, were constantly giving us cold chills; but luck 
was with us, and Malgrat was safely reached. 

A clean whitewashed town is Malgrat. In fact, all the 
towns between here and Barcelona seem prosperous and 
cleanlj^; far more so than those of the interior. The people 
also are cjuite imposing to look upon. iVpparently they 
obtain a livelihood from the catch of the sea. 

Cactus now appeared for the first time, and an agreeable 
change in the weather was vouchsafed. We were hoping 
now to enjoy the remainder of the day's run in idly skirting 
the shores of the Mediterranean. Unfortunately, this was 
not to be. We were rudely awakened from our dreams bj^ 
a road the surface of which, for the remainder of the dis- 
tance, plainly spoke of years of neglect. 

At 4.45 p. M., we drew up in front of the Grand Hotel, a 
first-class hostelry, to be recommended to the traveler. 

The day's run was as follows: 

Morning 1 hr. 50 min. 

Afternoon 4 " 5 " 

Total 5 hr. 55 min. 

Distance, 193 kilometers. Car working well, and no 
mishaps. 

Barcelona, the commercial city of Spain, and with a popu- 
lation of 605,000 inhabitants, is the capital of the province 
of the same name. It has many fine boulcA'ards which 
radiate in every direction. Its streets are alive with people, 
its theaters and cafes interesting. The shows in some are 

[172] 




CROSSING THE FLUVIA R H' E It 




VIEW OF COUNTRY 20 KILOMETERS FRO.M BARCELONA 




ROAD AND SCENERY 30 KILOMETERS FROM BARCELONA 




VILLAGE OF ITAFULLA, NEAR TARRAGONA 




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LOG OF MY MOTOR 

quite original, reminding one more of eastern cities. From 
an architectural point of view, except for the cathedral, 
there is little of note to be seen. The history of the place 
dates back to the time of the Carthaginians, since it was 
founded about 237 b. c. It prosj^ered later under Roman 
rule, but in a. d. 713 it fell a prey to the Moors, who in 
turn were ousted in 801 by Charlemagne. During the reign 
of Ferdinand of Aragon, it became a part of the Kingdom 
of Spain. During the twelfth century the city was a rival 
to Genoa and Venice, and its growth and prosperity have 
increased ever since, until to-day it is the largest and most 
prosperous city of Spain; its harbor is alive with commerce, 
and the city itself abounds in industrial concerns. Cotton, 
silk and wool appear to be the chief products. 



WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1911 
Another fine day. Spent in sight-seeing. 

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1911 

A cloudless sky greeted us as we sallied forth at 9.20, full 
of hope and cheer. But had any of our friends seen us half 
an hour later, they would have laughed at us. We were 
bumping along an indescribably bad road, stretching over 
a fertile valley, covered with truck gardens, orange groves 
and grape vineyards. For eleven long kilometers we ran 
over this rut-worn, dilapidated route, extending almost in a 
straight line. Then, unexpectedly, a change occurred, and 
we found ourselves rolling along a good surface, on a road 
much resembling France's best highways. We heaved a 
sigh of relief. It took us just one whole hour in which to 
cover these eleven kilometers. 

The Lobregat River was now crossed, and nine kilometers 

[177] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

farther we skirted an old feudal castle, perched on a hill. 
Before us lay the Morella Mountains, rising out of the sea 
to a height of 1,800 feet, and it was not long before we 
were ascending their easterly slope on a well-graded road. 

At 11 o'clock, we stopped for lunch. The spot chosen was 
ideal, on the edge of a cliff skirting the sea, where the sun 
poured down on us, and 500 feet below us a long swell was 
beating itself to pieces on rocks that showed it no mercy. 

What a difference between our situation and that of our 
friends in New York who were just then probably in the act 
of digging themselves out of some blizzard! 

At 12 o'clock, the old car was again set in motion. Villa- 
nueva-y-Celtra, located some distance back from the sea, 
on a plain whose border was flanked by high mountains, was 
the next village passed. The road was under repair in many 
places, and those awful stones, the sharp edges of which 
cut large gashes in our tires, were constantly under us. The 
country is abundant in olive trees, but otherwise is not 
very rich. Suddenly a fine old Roman arch rose before us. 
Solemn and grand it stood, the sole remaining relic of some 
Roman emperor's rule. 

Ten kilometers from Tarragona, another old Roman monu- 
ment was passed, also alone and seemingly abandoned in the 
field, the one thing in sight that time had not destroyed. 

At 2.25 p. M., we drew up in front of the hotel, in the town 
of Tarragona. 

Day's run, 95 kilometers, in 3 hours and 50 minutes. 



Tarragona. Hotels 



"b 



Hotel Continental. Good 
Hotel del Centro. Fair 



Tarragona, situated on a high hill, towering above the 
sea, is well worth a visit. Its streets, although deserted and 
badly paved, are full of interest. The harbor, now no 

[178] 




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longer of importance, was once, in the time of the Cartha- 
ginians, a menace to the world. The town flourished under 
the Romans, and many are the remains of their civilization 
to be found here. Then it was later captured by the Goths, 
who ransacked and destroyed the city. It finally fell into 
the hands of the Christians, who rebuilt and re-established 
her old, lost grandeur. 

Tarragona possesses many buildings of great interest. 
The cathedral comes first. Begun in the twelfth century, 
its exterior is Gothic. It was never finished as originally 
planned. The fagade and door are handsome. The in- 
terior. Early Pointed, is severe but very fine. The cloisters 
adjoining the church date back to the thirteenth century. 
Spain possesses no finer. The museum should also be vis- 
ited because of the many Roman relics that are to be seen 
there. 

The three underground prisons, which, at the time of our 
visit, contained 12,000 prisoners, make one shudder to think 
of the horrors these poor wretches are undergoing. The cells 
are damp and without light, and some are even partially 
submerged in water. Any one who survives his imprison- 
ment emerges with a diseased and shattered constitution. 

In the monastery here are to be found the Monks of 
Tarragona, manufacturing the well-known yellow and green 
Chartreuse. A few years ago these monks were expelled 
from France, where, in the famous Chartreuse monastery, 
near Grenoble, they were making the same unequaled 
liqueur. 

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1911 

We left Tarragona at 7.30 a. m., and for the first 100 
kilometers traversed a wild and picturesque country with 
cactus and sage-brush abounding on all sides. The road's 
surface is good, and the " thank-you-ma'ams " plainly 

[ 183 ] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

visible. The Mediterranean, which we skirted, gUstened in 
the bright sun, while to our right the mountains of the 
Sierra del Cardo raised their peaks some 3,000 feet. 

By 9.30, Cape de Tortosa, located at the extreme end of 
a tremendous sand-bank, hove in sight. From the mountain 
we were descending, we obtained a good view of these flats. 

The bank extends fifteen-odd miles out to sea, its width 
being about the same. It is a barren and uninhabited plain, 
divided into two parts by the River Ebro. Its appearance 
is quite remarkable in the peculiarity of its contour, and on 
stopping to examine it more carefully, we were much im- 
pressed by its dreary waste. 

We entered Tortosa at 10 o'clock. The town is a busy 
place, built on the banks of the River Ebro, which is crossed 
by an old bridge, for the up-keep of which a toll is charged. 
The streets here are so narrow that our car could not negoti- 
ate the turns necessary for reaching the approaches to the 
bridge. We made four or five attempts through various 
side streets, before an available way was found that would 
allow us a comfortable access. Owing to the backing and 
filling which necessarily accompanied our maneuvers, and 
the unusual appearance of an auto in this part of the world, 
a large crowd had collected, with the result that when we 
finally emerged from the town, the gathering that followed 
in the dust behind could not have been more numerous 
if the King of Spain himself were visiting the place. 

We were inland now, and separated from the sea by the 
Montsia Mountains. Steep grades were continuallj^ en- 
countered, but the road was good. Forty kilometers from 
Tortosa, a fertile plain is entered, which is, indeed, a garden 
spot such as one rarely sees. At Mnaroz we met a funeral 
procession. The mourners were a jolly lot, much enlivened 
by the strains of a brass band that brought up the rear of 
the procession. 

[ 184 ] 




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TWO MEN AND A BOY. TAKEN NEAR TH:E 
SUMMIT OF THE MOUNTAIN AT CASTELLON 




PICKING ORANGES, NEAR VALENCIA 




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Next came the little town of Benicarlo. Here we took a 
photograph of the church, and then proceeded to climb the 
Atalayas de Alcala Mountains. At Alcala, a goat fastened 
to a tree near a house took fright at our sudden appear- 
ance and tried to climb the wall of the building, taking his 
first leap from a chair. Unfortunately, he was not equipped 
with an aeroplane, and fell heavily, smashing the chair to 
splinters. This was to prove a sad day for goats. A few 
kilometers farther on, we met another of these animals, 
whose lariat had been carefully tied to the tail of a mule. 
The mule took fright at our car, and the goat had a most 
uncomfortable ride across a field at a forty-mile an hour 
clip, striking on its way, as they say in the "auto world," 
only the high spots. 

x4.t 11.55, we stopped for lunch, 39 kilometers north of 
Castellon, and 174 kilometers distant from Tarragona. Dur- 
ing the meal we enjoyed the rays from the torrid sun, and 
were loath to move from our picnic-ground when the set 
time for our departure (12.45) came. 

At 1.20, the carburetor, by several back fires, let us know 
that it required attention. We, therefore, stopped at the 
top of Mt. Mayar to adjust it, and also took advantage of 
the delay to photograph a road-keeper's house, called, in 
Spanish, Peones Cammerdos. These buildings are erected 
at intervals of five kilometers throughout Spain and all 
resemble each other in color and architectural appearance. 

To the southwest another plain was visible, the descent to 
which was made along a winding road, whose surface was 
fairly good, but, as usual, full of large broken stones. After 
a delay of ten minutes, the carburetor having been ad- 
justed, we proceeded once more, and at 2.00 p. m. entered 
Castellon de la Plana, 213 kilometers from Tarragona. 
Castellon de la Plana is a typical Spanish town of these 
regions, but with this difference, that its main street is paved. 

[189] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

It is picturesquely situated, with the Desierto-de-las-Palmas 
Mountains as a background. 

We now entered the plain we had seen from the top of the 
mountain, and for the remainder of the day's run to Valencia, 
passed through the orange-producing country which largely 
supplies the European markets with that fruit. It was a 
fine sight, and for miles in all directions, groves of these 
trees, heavily loaded with fruit, enchanted the eye. 

At Villareal we crossed the Myares River, and took a 
photograph of the church and also of a street scene. At 
Sangunto we crossed the Palancia River. Here are to be 
seen the ruins of an old Roman amphitheater. Owing to 
the lateness of the hour, however, we did not stop, although 
we "kodaked" the old fortifications surrounding the town 
and also took photographs of some of the inhabitants who 
were driving by in a donkey cart. 

Fifteen kilometers from Valencia we passed a monastery 
where superb trees are to be seen topping the high wall that 
surrounds the building. As we were about to end a most 
tiresome day's run, the road became almost impassable. 
Carts, wagons and even donkej^s were mired. With our 
usual luck, we managed to pass through this inferno. When 
we finally arrived at the gates of Valencia, which we did at 
4.15 p. M., we were utterly tired and worn out. 

Day's run, 278 kilometers, in 7 hours and 30 minutes, 
divided up as follows: 

Morning 4 hr. 25 min. 

Afternoon 3 " 5 

Total 7 hr. 30 min. 

Valencia. Hotel, Grand Hotel. Good 

[190] 




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WHERE THE ROAD AND RAILROAD RUN 
CLOSE TO EACH OTHER 




HOTEL IN TARRAGONA 




ROAD TRAVERSED AFTER LEAVING GUADIX 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1911 

The day was spent visiting the town. Whatever Valencia 
may have been in the past, it is at present a somewhat 
uninteresting city. It is situated three miles back from the 
sea, on a small stream known as the Rio Taria. The old 
walls and the aqueducts have survived the centuries and are 
in practically the same condition in which they were left by 
the Romans and the Moors. 

Of its churches, the cathedral, called La Seo, is probably 
the most interesting. The modern building, erected in the 
year 1262, rests on the site of an old mosque. The archi- 
tecture of the exterior is Early Gothic, but the interior is of 
various periods. 

The Church of San Juan contains some fine paintings on 
the ceiling, and a beautiful altar. 

The market place, circular in shape, is well worth visiting, 
especially during the morning hours when it is a very lively 
place and offers much amusement to the stranger. Valencia 
possesses a museum, but the pictures are poor. There are, 
however, two small rooms containing a Gothic collection, 
which is very fine. 

The street life is most animated. Peasants and business 
men mingle and parade together during the afternoon hours 
along the boulevards. And among the human beings which 
jostle each other up and down the crowded streets, goats 
scurry about and charge the crowd, knocking off their feet 
those who are not agile enough to jump out of their way. 

Several pretty walks and parks beautify the town, and five 
kilometers to the south of Valencia there is an underground 
village inhabited by the poor workingmen of the city. 

I was compelled to essay the native language during the 
day and was greatly pleased at the progress I was making 
as a Spanish linguist, being made aware of my proficiency 

[195] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

in a book store where I was endeavoring to purchase some 
road maps. After infinite gesticulation and sign making, 
the gentleman who was waiting on me explained by these 
means that he thoroughly understood what I wanted, and 
departed to dig out of the shelves, as I thought, the map that 
I required. After a delay of fifteen minutes, he returned 
with an automatic multiplication table. My dignity was 
not a little disturbed. 

HISTORY 

Valencia is situated in the middle of a large, flat plain, 
covered with orange and lemon groves, palm trees, mulberry 
bushes and carob trees. The town dates back many years 
before the Christian era. It was destroyed by Pompey, 
only to be rebuilt by Sertorius. The name "Valencia" 
means strength. 

In the year a. d. 413, the Goths took possession of it, and 
in 1020, Abel Azis made it into an independent kingdom. 
From this period on, it passed several times from the hands of 
the Moors to the Christians, until in 1238 it was taken by 
Jayme el Conquistador, who added it to the Kingdom of 
Aragon. During the reign of Ferdinand and Isabella, it 
became part of the Spanish Kingdom. From 1609 to 1843 
the city was in a state of constant turmoil, and fighting in it 
occurred at frequent intervals for most of that period. In 
the latter year, Navaez was raised to Grandeza, with the 
title of Duke of Valencia, and from this time on quiet has 
reigned. 

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1911 

Somewhat cloudy during the morning, but by 12 o'clock 
the sun once more shone down upon us. We left Valencia 
behind at 8.15, and for the first 62 kilometers encountered 

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a road almost impossible to negotiate. Ruts from two to 
three feet deep, bumps that jarred us terribly, and mud that 
covered us continually, met us at every revolution of the 
machine's wheels. 

At the 60 kilometers mile-stone, we turned abruptly to 
our left, taking the road to Alcoy, 64 kilometers distant. 
We now began to ascend higher ground, and, as usual, found 
the surface of the road much improved. The plain we had 
just traversed is exceedingly beautiful, and rich to a degree 
in all kinds of fruit-bearing trees. But our condition, after 
an uncomfortable ride of three hours, made us wish we had 
never seen it. 

With accelerated speed the car now approached the 
mountains, and a few minutes only elapsed before we were 
climbing the easterly slope, over a winding i-oad, whose 
surface was in good condition. During the ascent we 
stopped and took a photograph of both road and plain. 

At 11.45. Ontenente, a beautiful town, was skirted, but we 
noticed here, as in the other villages in this section of the 
country, that the streets were in abominably wretched con- 
dition, making driving through them almost impossible. In 
addition to the bad state of the streets, thousands of chil- 
dren swarmed around the car like flies, and impeded prog- 
ress. The nuisance of the dogs is worse here than it is even 
in Constantinople. I could not believe, had I not had this 
experience, that there were so many of these animals on the 
surface of the earth. Their constant barking while running 
after the car makes it impossible to ask for information as to 
the direction to take. Indeed, the noise is so deafening that 
we could scarce hear what we tried to say to each other. 

The Sierra Enguera Mountains we were now traversing 
are barren and rocky. Nevertheless they have a charm 
of their own. At 12.05, just after crossing the summit of 
the second pass encountered during the morning's run, we 

[201] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

stopped for lunch. Here we took a photograph of the car, 
and a view of the descent we were about to undertake at 
the termination of our meal. A third photograph was also 
"snapped" of the distant plain we were to cross during 
part of the afternoon's run. The pictures show fairly well 
the condition of the country. It can readily be seen how 
hard it must be for a farmer to make a living on these hills, 
since there is practically no top soil to be found. 

The morning's run of 117 kilometers had been covered in 
3 hours and 50 minutes. This was pretty slow time, but 
considering the terrible condition of the first 60 kilometers 
of road encountered, we reckoned we had made very good 
progress. 

At 12.50, we were once more running southwest. It was 
not long before we entered the plain above referred to; 
but we enjoyed only ten kilometers of level road before we 
were back into the mountains again. 

Alcoy now met our view, though separated from us by a 
big canyon, which was crossed by a bridge at the north- 
westerly extremity of the town, to reach which a big detour 
was necessary. We secured a good photograph of this place, 
which is clean and presents rather an interesting appear- 
ance. I believe it would not be a bad place in which to 
stop for the night, especially as the run to Murcie, where 
we did put up, is a much too long journey for one day, in 
this part of the world. Alicante, where we had hoped to 
stay for the night, possesses a hotel that I would advise no 
one to stop at. 

Immediately on leaving Alcoy, we ascended a mountain, 
from the top of which we obtained a view of country as 
fine as any we had yet seen. The engineers, in crossing 
these St. Carraquera Mountains, had little choice as to route, 
their summit being unbroken; so that it mattered little 
which way the crest was reached. The descent on the west 

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side is very fine. The road, from an engineer's point of 
view, is a marvel, and the view alone is well worth the 
trip. 

At 2.50 p. M., while endeavoring to make up for lost time 
over a fairly good road, we punctured our first rear tire. 
Owing to the bad tear in the outer shoe, we found it neces- 
sary to change both shoe and tube. After laboring at the 
repairs like beavers, we were ready to start again at 3.10; 
but the motor now refused to work. Something had evi- 
dently gone wrong with its mechanism. After a further 
delay of 40 minutes, in which everything was taken apart 
and put back again, the car finally made up its mind to 
start. We had found, to our surprise, that nothing was out 
of order, and could not account for the motor's first failure. 

Alicante, bordering on the Mediterranean, was entered at 
4.00 p. M. The large promenade which borders the sea was 
blocked owing to a bicycle race, and we were hustled into 
a side street for the time being. This, with our delay of an 
hour for the repair to the motor, added to our anxiety, as 
we wished to get to Murcie that evening. And Murcie was 
still 82 kilometers distant. We finally found a small back 
street which led around the crowded boulevard, and after 
questioning a gendarme as to the route to be taken, we 
carefully departed on the wrong road. Luckily the occu- 
pants of a diligence, advancing in our direction, told us of 
our error, and we returned to Alicante, which we left once 
more at 4.30, this time by the main highway. 

From Alicante, of which we carried away a very poor 
impression, the road is practically flat and uninteresting. 
It skirts several mountains, but does not attempt to climb 
them. Its surface is fair, and it was owing to this that we 
were able to make time. But our troubles were by no means 
over. In fact, they had only just begun. 

Our carburetor began to give us trouble. Twice it was 

[207] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

taken apart. Once we found water, another time it was 
clogged with dirt; and then, to add to our troubles, dark- 
ness fell on us when we were still 39 kilometers from Murcie. 
In any other country this would have been a matter for 
amusement, but not in Spain, especially southern Spain, 
a country almost untraveled by the tourist. But we hoped 
for the best, and lit our lamps just before entering the town 
of Orihuela. The street of the village was dark and narrow, 
and on reaching the church situated in a small central square, 
we were again waved aside and our progress stopped by a 
procession, the like of which I had never before seen. 

Exactly five hundred women, in a double line, holding 
lighted candles, were marching solemnly in the dusk. They 
seemed to be walking as slowly as possible to the accompani- 
ment of a band of music. In the midst of the procession an 
image of their patron saint was carried on the shoulders of 
half a dozen men. Numerous banners and several crosses 
were also to be seen. We were held up here for half an hour 
before we found it possible to proceed once more. When 
we did make a start we found to our horror that the Presto- 
lite tank, for the first time in its history, refused to keep 
the lights burning. Somehow or other gasoline was leaking 
from the pet cock where the gas should have come, and every 
time we lit the lamps a flame from five to six feet high rose, 
instead of the bright and steady light. There was nothing 
else for it but to rush through the darkness with our two 
small side lights, which we did, arriving finally, at 7.20 p. M., 
at the Hotel Universal at Murcie. Here the rooms were 
decent, but the food wretched. Nevertheless, we managed 
to choke down a dinner cooked in oil and garlic, and ten 
minutes after eating it we were both fast asleep, so tired out 
that we did not even remove our clothes. 

The day's run was 245 kilometers, which was covered in 
8 hours and 50 minutes. 

[ 208 ] 




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Distances between towns as follows: 

Kil. 

Valencia to Alcoy 117 

Alcoy to Alicante 46 

Alicante to Murcie 82 



Total 245 



MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1911 

We experienced some difficulty in procuring gasoline. It 
took us an hour's search, ere any of this precious fluid was 
located. The tanks being filled and a goodly supply of oil 
taken on, we found ourselves underway again at 8.10 a. m. 

Took the following route from Murcie to Puerto: 

KU. 

Alhama 43 

Totana 8 

Lorca 12 

Puerto 18 

Total 81 

A plain, fairly well cultivated and irrigated by the San- 
gonera River, is traversed over the whole distance. To the 
north are to be seen the Sierra de Espuna, and to the south 
the Sierra de Almenara Mountains. At Puerto, we turned 
abruptly to our right just before crossing the River Vixnaya, 
and began to ascend the Sierra de las Estancias range. The 
scenery is fine, unusually wild and barren. Mountains rise 
on both sides to a considerable height. Rice is cultivated 
here, but hardly a tree is to be seen in a landscape of red- 
colored soil. The road surface is good. 

Donkeys and mules are the animals most in use in this 
section of the country for getting from place to place; and 

[213] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

as these beasts are not accustomed to meet with automobiles, 
many amusing incidents occurred on our journey. On one 
occasion a donkey stood perfectly still to look at us, while the 
man on his back, out of sheer fright, fell oft" into the gutter. 

At Velez Rubio, our course once more changed to the 
west and we passed over a large plateau which was bordered 
on the north by the Sierra de Maria and on the south by 
the Sierra de las Estancias, the range of hills we had just 
crossed. It was a desert-like country, with scarce any 
vegetation, trees or inhabitants. Nothing could be seen 
but the long road stretching before us mile after mile, on 
which no traffic was met. 

Finally, the CuUar de Baza, 75 kilometers from Puerto, 
was "seen below us. My expression, "below us," will be 
better understood by examining the photographs. In this 
section of the country, the gypsies live underground, and 
in many cases the highways run over the roofs of 
their houses, which are on the side of an embankment; 
so that the villages in that neighborhood are descried 
by means of the smoking chimneys that are passed on 
the right and left. We had been driving along at an 
elevation of about 3,000 feet for the last 75 kilometers, and 
the air being clear, the eye could range over immense dis- 
tances. We stopped for a moment at the Cullar de Baza 
to take a photograph. 

Twenty-two kilometers beyond Cullar de Baza, the town 
of Baza itself is passed. Here we proceeded to climb, over a 
bad road, the foot-hills of the Sierra de Baza Mountains, 
while to the south the Sierra Nevada range, with its 
snow-capped peaks, shone brightly in the sun. 

We stopped for lunch at 12.45, — 186 kilometers from 
Murcie. The meal was partaken of hurriedly, on a desert, 
in which not a tree could be seen. We departed again 
at 1.15. 

[214] 




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At 2.00 p. M., the town of Guadix, 4-8 kilometers from Baza, 
hove in sight. A short cut-off aUo-ived us to avoid the 
town. The road now became very bad. "Thank-you- 
ma'ams" of an extraordinary depth were encountered, 
and rivers were forded. Finally we arrived on the banks of 
the Guadiana River. On looking across to the other side, 
however, we could see no tracks emerging. We accosted 
a chance traveling native to know if we were on the right 
road. He instructed us to proceed up the middle of the 
river-bed for about half a mile, where we would find wagon 
tracks leading off to the right. As we were by now fairly 
accustomed to this kind of travel, we did not hesitate, but 
rushed the river, which, owing to the lack of rain, was not 
over two feet in depth. It was an exciting run, and for a 
time the motor looked more like a boat than an automobile. 
A slight bend, and we saw the tracks referred to, before us. 
We emerged safely on to the other side. 

Now began the ascent of the Sierra Harana, and for seven 
kilometers we put on first speed, climbing a grade that was 
surely never intended for automobile use. 

What magnificent scenery met our view! And what an 
opportunity for the geologist! Undoubtedly he must have 
felt himself in the seventh heaven of delight, could he have 
been there to revel in the abundance of curious strata and 
rich mineral deposits. 

We took photographs which show the wild aspect of the 
road. The pictures bear witness to the possibility of the 
place for a brigand's lair. Were any in the neighborhood, 
the traveler would stand no chance at all against attack. 
After "snapping" another picture of the motor crossing a 
river-bed which at this time was dry, we proceeded on our 
way again. 

Forty-odd kilometers still separated us from Granada. 
Words cannot describe the beauty of the surrounding 

[ 219 ] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

country. We stopped on the summit of the Sierra Harana 
Mountains and photographed the road we had just ascended. 
It was named by us "The Top of the World." The view 
was extraordinarily grand and no photograph can give an 
idea of the magnificent distance and perspective from this 
point. I should say that the eye can range for a hundred 
miles in any direction. At the point where we stopj^ed 
was a house, and quite a number of the peasantry gathered 
around us. All were amiably disposed. 

The road varied, being continuously up and down terrific 
grades. Its condition also differed at every kilometer, 
now good and now bad. We forded many streams, so 
many, indeed, that we took this method of crossing rivers 
for granted and were much surprised if we found a bridge. 
In some cases we passed alongside some tumbled-down 
old bridge erected in the time of the Romans, but now, 
owing to lack of maintenance, abandoned and ruined. 
One small stream we passed through was rather deeper 
than the average, and the bow wave we threw up would 
have aroused the envy of any torpedo boat. 

The inhabitants are well set-up and fine-looking men and 
women. All were agreeable, and received us with smiles, 
much to our surprise, after the stories we had heard at 
Murcie. The dogs were numerous, and not being accus- 
tomed to motor cars, were constantly getting in our way. 
We killed five, but made no attempt to stop to apologize to 
their owners, deeming flight to be our wisest course. 

Train service between Murcie and Granada is not of the 
best. The unfortunate traveler, on leaving Murcie at say 
9 o'clock of a Monday morning, arrives at Baza at 5 in 
the evening. He spends the night in a far from comfortable 
hotel, and on the next morning, Tuesday, he is off again 
at 7 to arrive in Granada at 3 in the afternoon. 

Traveling is done mostly by horses, and the tourist can 

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hire a horse at one hotel, or fonda, and proceed to the next 
village, or stage, to which the horse is permitted to go. 
Here he changes his mount and continues on his way. 
The horse remains where the last rider has left it until 
some other traveler happens along going in the other direc- 
tion, when it is returned to its proper owner. 

When within 20 kilometers of Granada, we encountered 
some terrific grades, worse even than the one out of Guadix, 
and on two occasions our motor was stalled. It is a con- 
stant series of rises and falls, from mountain tops to valleys, 
with sharp turns and "thank-you-ma'ams." Yet all the 
way beautiful views and superb country alleviate the weari- 
ness of the traveler. 

At 4.30 p. M., after a run of 7 hours and 50 minutes with- 
out mishaps, except for carburetor trouble from accumu- 
lated water and dirt, we found ourselves at Granada. 

Distance covered, 280 kilometers. 

This completed our eighth day's running from Nice, 
from which we were now 1,655 kilometers, a distance made 
in 46 hours and 45 minutes' running time, with only one 
mishap — a punctured tire on the seventh day. 



Granada. Hotels 



Washington Irving. Good 
Hotel Siete Suelos 
Hotel de la Alameda 

GRANADA 

Granada the beautiful, situated at an altitude of 2,445 
feet, with a population of 66,000 souls, is one of the loveliest 
spots in Spain. Good hotels, superb drives, and many 
splendid buildings of interest, both ancient and modern, 
are to be found here. These with the fine even climate 
afford the tourist many hours of pleasure. It is a place in 

[225] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

which to obtain a truer knowledge of old Spanish customs 
than any other town in the peninsula. 

The town is situated on a steep slope or side of a hill, 
the crest of which is surmounted by the Alhambra. A 
plain, fertile and extensive, extends in a northerly direc- 
tion, and to the south the Sierra Nevada, with their snow- 
capped summits, glisten in the sunlight. Mt. Mulhacen, 
11,703 feet high, the most lofty peak in Spain, may easily 
be seen. 

In the town, the cathedral should be visited. Erected in 
1529, it is built on the site of an ancient mosque. Its pro- 
portions are good, its columns massive and imposing. To 
the rear of the church is the Chapel Royal, and here lie the 
remains of Ferdinand and Isabella, King and Queen of 
Spain, who reigned from 1474 to 1504. 

Among the relics are some fine old Gothic paintings and 
a jewel case belonging to the Queen herself, from which 
she sold sufficient gems to allow Columbus to fit out his 
three ships that took him to the discovery of the western 
continent. Some fine old embroideries, worked by the 
hands of Isabella herself, are also on view here. 

The streets are, most of them, uninteresting, with the ex- 
ception of the old Moorish street, still intact, and adjacent 
to one of Granada's chief business thoroughfares. 

On the outskirts of the town, the suppressed convent of 
La Granada should also be visited. A cross finely painted 
on a wall in one of the rooms looks exactly as if it were 
made of wood. The story as told is that birds, of which 
many fly around the room, often try to perch upon it, only 
to drop to the floor. A dozen or more repelling paintings, 
depicting the persecution of the Monks by the English are 
to be seen in the cloister. The Chapel of Sts. Peter and 
Paul is also open for the inspection of the tourist. 

Returning to town, we visited a private museum, con- 

[ 226 ] 




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UNDERGROUND HUTS. NEAR GRANADA 




AQUEDUCT BRINGING WATER SUPPLY TO 
GRANADA 




OLD ROMAN GATE. ENTRANCE TO CORDOBA 




VIEW AT GRANADA 




GARDENS IN GRANADA 




COURT OF FOUNTAIN OF THE LIONS IN THE 
ALHAMBRA. GRANADA 




THE FOUNTAINS IN THE ALHAMBRA. 
GRANADA 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

taining the Gothic collection belonging to a Spaniard who 
had made his money in the African diamond fields. His 
house and gardens were also visited and can be seen during 
the absence of the owner. 

Then conies the Alhambra, and its gardens, which we 
had traveled so many miles to see and which Washington 
Irving and other writers have described far better than I 
can. The photographs I took and here reproduce must 
speak for me. This wonderfully beautiful place once seen 
can never be forgotten. 

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1911 
Spent sight-seeing. 

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1911 

A beautiful day. Luck seemed evidently to be with us 
for our run from Granada to Cordoba. 
The route to be taken is as follows: 

Kil. 

Alcala 50 

Priego 25 

Cabra 18 Condition of road 

Castro 36 good 

Espejo 6 

Cordoba 42 

Total 177 

We were off at 7.15 a. m. Thirty kilometers from Granada 
the plain is left and the ascent of the Sierra Parapanda 
Mountains begun. Passing through the town of Puerto 
Lopez near the summit, and descending into a valley, we 

[231] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

crossed a small stream, and then rode up again over the 
Sierra de Priego Mountains to the town of Alcala la Real. 
This place had, at one time, been the stronghold of the 
Moors, but was taken from them in 1340 by Alphonso XI. 

Priego came next, and here we "kodaked" a street which 
shows the life and typical houses of the smaller towns in 
this section of the country. The town of Cabra next hove 
in sight. Medicinal plants, marbles and alabaster are found 
here. Good wine is also produced. 

The country continued rough, and fine views were con- 
tinually meeting us at every turn. Ten kilometers north 
of Cabra we stopped for lunch in a shady nook on the side 
of a mountain. The heat, however, was terrific. A morn- 
ing's run of 3 hours and 35 minutes enabled us to cover 103 
kilometers. 

The road was in splendid condition. There were no " thank- 
you-ma'ams," and all the streams are bridged. The grades 
being very stiff, the wagons used for crossing the mountains 
have spans of from six to eight nuiles attached to them. 
The country is thickly planted with olive trees and the 
fields are good for pasturing. Herds of sheep are to be seen 
quite frequently. 

At 11.50, having lunched, we were again under way. 
From Castro, we descended to a plain, a good photograph 
of which is here produced. The soil is ;ich and the farmers 
appeared to be prosperous. The cornfields here are un- 
equaled by any in the world both in the quality and 
quantity of their yield. 

At 1.30, Cordoba, situated on the banks of the Guadal- 
quivir River, loomed up in the distance. Twenty minutes 
later we had crossed the stream fly means of a fine old 
Roman bridge built by Octavius Caesar. We stopped to 
take a photograph of the remains of a Ronian arch at the 
entrance to the town. 

[ 232 ] 




CORDOBA AND THE GUADALQUIVIR RIVER 




TOWN OF ALCOY 



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The afternoon's run had taken us 2 hours, during which 
time we had traversed 74 kilometers. The total distance 
for the day was 177 kilometers, covered in 5 hours and 35 
minutes. 

Cordoba, as I saw it, resembles more a Portuguese vil- 
lage than a town in Spain. The houses, whitcAvashed as 
usual, are neat and two stories in height. Flower boxes 
project from many of the upper windows. The paving of 
the streets, though rough, is free from filth. 

The day's run had taken us through a country the towns 
of which possess little of historical interest, but the country 
itself is rich in material for the mineralogist and botanist. 



Cordoba. Hotels 



Hotel Suisse. Good 

Hotel Fonda de Oriente. Fair 

Hotel Fonda Espanola. Fair 

CORDOBA 

Under the Moors, Cordoba was the center of European 
civilization; since that time it has gradually but surely re- 
trograded, until to-day its only boast is a few old ruins. 
In olden days, the Andalusian nobility made this town 
their headquarters. The houses are like those in Seville, 
each built around a garden in which grow palm trees and 
varied-colored flowers. The fountain, a photograph of 
which is given, was built by Abd-er-Rahman III, and is 
very fine indeed. 

The mosque, the finest in Europe, is the only building 
of abiding interest in the city. It was built on the site 
of the Temple of Janus, and is a remarkably curious struc- 
ture. At the time of the Moorish conquest of the city, the 
Christians were allowed to worship in this cathedral, which 
had been dedicated to St. Vicente, on the assurance that 

[237] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

all the other churches in the town would be destroyed. 
Later, the Moors appropriated half of the cathedral and 
transformed it into a mosque, and in 784 the other half was 
added, the Christians receiving, as compensation, a sum of 
money and the privilege of rebuilding their old churches. 

The Moorish ruler intended to establish the city as the 
Mecca of the West. 

The interior of the mosque is quite unusual architec- 
turally. The Moorish style of architecture predominates. 
The ceiling is low, and massive columns extend in long rows 
in all directions. The center was destroyed about 1521, 
and in its place now stand, in Morisco-Gothic style, under 
a large dome, the choir and organ. Charles V, who had 
ordered that this work should be done, was much annoyed, 
at the time of his visit to Cordoba, to find that the main 
portion of the building had been destroyed, The exterior 
is peculiar. There are over a dozen entrances, and from the 
roof rise forty-eight towers. The stonework is very plain 
and gives the appearance of a wall rather than a church. 

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1911 

Another perfect day. By 9.15, we were under way, and 
Cordoba was soon left behind in a cloud of dust. Moun- 
tains, barren in appearance, but good for grazing, surrounded 
us. The villages on the way are picturesque; the houses 
of which, though low, are whitewashed and clean. Now 
and then a thatched roof is seen, in the midst of red-tiled 
roofs. 

At Carlota we entered a rolling country, a high tableland 
with rich soil, abounding in olive trees and truck gardens. 
These continue as far as Luisiana, where the Madrevieja 
River is crossed, but from here the landscape is a desert, 
with swamps at intervals. Cactus and sage-brush are to 

[ 238 ] 




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be seen growing everywhere. Partridges, storks, cranes 
and other wild fowl are in abundance. We stopped, at one 
point, to "kodak" a stork, and the result is seen in the 
picture on the opposite page. 

Ecija was passed at 10.15. This town is the home of the 
original seven robbers who, up to twenty -five years ago, were 
absolute masters of the city. Under their rule it was dan- 
gerous for a traveler to pass through this country. To-day 
it is a very quiet spot, clean in appearance, and boasting of 
ten fine churches. At Colle de Moncloa, a crane, a fine 
specimen of a bird, with red beak, black and white head and 
huge white body, misjudging his distance while flying across 
the road, was almost hit by our automobile. 

The road for the first 114 kilometers is good. We covered 
the distance in 115 minutes; but when within three kilo- 
meters of Carmona, which town was passed through at 
11.15, we suddenly encountered a bad road for the remainder 
of the distance to Seville, 52 kilometers beyond. 

At Carmona, there are some old Roman ruins to be seen, 
but owing to the heat we did not stop to examine them. At 
El Viso del Alcor, about 30 kilometers from Seville, there 
had evidently been some kind of village disturbance, for 
the houses, which had only just received their semi-annual 
coating of whitewash, were bespattered with red paint 
throughout the entire length of the main street. At x41cala 
de Guadaira, 16 kilometers from Seville, there are some 
old Roman walls, rather imposing to look upon. Several 
watch towers are also to be seen, rising from the crest of a 
low hill. 

Twelve-twenty p. m. found us at Seville. We had covered 
the entire distance of 157 kilometers in 3 hours and 5 minutes. 
The latter part of the route is practically flat, and for 15 kilo- 
meters before reaching Seville, we skirted the old Roman 
aqueduct, which is most interesting architecturally. 

[247] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

We were interested to note that we had now traversed 
1,989 kilometers since leaving Nice. The entire distance 
had been covered in 55 hours and 25 minutes, with only one 
punctured tire to mar our journey. 

SEVILLE 

Seville is a most agreeable city in which to spend the spring 
and autumn, but the winter and summer, owing to the rain 
storms in the former season and the heat in the latter, make 
it practically uninhabitable to the tourist. 



Seville. Hotels 



Hotel de Paris. Good 
Hotel de I'Europa 
Hotel Inglaterra 



'^b'^ 



The town is situated in the middle of a very fertile plain, 
on the banks of the Guadalquivir River, and derives its 
name "Seville" from the Phoenician word, meaning "fer- 
tile." It is one of the oldest cities of Spain, and enjoys a 
fairly good climate, except at the season when the hot 
Levante winds blow, which, coming from the desert, pro- 
duce an irritating effect on everyone who experiences them. 

Julius Caesar took the town in 45 b. c. It was at that 
time strongly fortified and practically rebuilt by the Romans. 
Many museums remain to show the grandeur in which the 
inhabitants lived in ancient times. 

The Silingi Vandals made Seville their headquarters 
during the fifth century. The Goths also made it their 
capital. During the seventh and part of the eighth cen- 
tury the Moors, under Abdul-Azis, captured the town. In 
the middle of the eighth century it was overcome and taken 
possession of by the Ummeyah family, and from that 
time on it increased in prosperity. For many years, silk 
has been manufactured there in great quantities. In 1248, 

[ 248 ] 




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the Christians took possession of it, and the Mussulman rule 
came to an end after 536 years of beneficent government. 

In 1808, it became the prey of the French, who destroyed 
much of its beauty. In 1813, the town was conquered by 
the Enghsh, only in their turn to be soon after ousted. 
Finally, the city became what it is to-day, part of the Spanish 
Kingdom. 

The town possesses many beautiful places of interest. 
Squares, attractive shops and houses with enclosed gardens 
and varied coloring, give it a peculiar charm that is rarely 
seen in any other part of Spain. 

Aniong the places of interest, the cathedral comes first. 
Built on the site of an old temple erected to Venus Salambo, 
it became a mosque at the time of the Mooi'ish conquest. 
Architecturally, it resembles the cathedral in Cordoba to 
be seen at the present time. The mosque was destroyed by 
the Normans, re-erected in 1184> by Emir Jusuf, only to be 
transformed under St. Ferdinand into a cathedral. In the 
early part of the fifteenth century the entire building was 
destroyed, and plans for a new one were at once drawn. 
It is probably the finest example of Gothic architecture 
to be seen in Spain. The columns are massive in size and 
the interior most impressive. Some old Moorish relics 
are on exhibition there. Here lie the remains of Christo- 
pher Columbus, brought over from the church at Santo 
Domingo, in the West Indies, in the year 1902, on a Spanish 
man-of-war. 

The Alcazar, the old Moorish palace, another building 
of great interest, dates back to 1181. Under Charles V 
several stories were added, but in a different style of archi- 
tecture, which somewhat detracts from the beauty of the 
present building. The history of this edifice is absorbingly 
interesting, and well worth studying. 

[255] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY SI, 1911 

This day we spent sight-seeing, and during the afternoon 
we took a run out of Seville to see the Roman amphi- 
theater, 2,000 years old, located some 15 kilometers from 
the town. Partially destroyed by an earthquake, it is still 
extrenielj^ interesting. The GoA-ernment has appropriated 
15,000 pesos for excavation work, and many old relies are 
expected to be recovered. The building commemorates 
the birth of three Roman emperors. 

Many rich copper mines are located just north of Seville; 
the ore trains carrying the supply down from the moun- 
tains over their own right-of-way, descend on a fairly well- 
constructed railway. These mines are controlled by Eng- 
lish capital, and a handsome return is shown. We passed, 
on this run, cjuite a number of large factories of pottery, 
also controlled by English capitalists. The day, as usual 
of late, was a beautiful one. 

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1911 

It was "all aboard" at 9.15 for Badajoz, and the fine 
weather which still continued encouraged us to look for- 
ward with pleasure to the day's run. The route for the 
first 23 kilometers, which two years previously we found 
in such frightful condition, had been extensively repaired. 
Work was still in progress, and by the end of the season I 
believe it will be in fairly good shape for motoring. 

The Sierra de xA.racena Mountains were first encountered, 
but good roads were found as we rose from the plain. The 
houses in the villages are, as usual, whitewashed. In this 
section of the country, from three to four coats are given 
each year. The streets are wide, the houses are low and stand 
well back from the road. At Saint Olalla, we left the route 

[256] 




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taken on our first trip, and turned to the left, taking the 
more mountainous and, as we found, the more interesting 
road, by way of Jerez. Twelve kilometers from the junction 
point, we stopped at a shadj^ spot on the mountain side for 
lunch. The clock pointed to 11.45 as we halted the car. 
The morning's run of 'i hours and 30 minutes had been a 
most agreeable one, and during that time we had traversed 
a distance of 85 kilometers. 

The first 23 kilometers, through the fertile plain in which 
Seville is located, is uninteresting; but the remainder of the 
road, alternately through mountains and rolling country, 
is fine. 

At 12.35, having partaken of our lunch, we got under 
way again. At Seguera, we passed an old castle, in a good 
state of preservation. At Bodonal-de-la-Serra, a church, the 
steeple of which is surmounted by a stork's nest, frowned 
down on us. At Frejenal another stork's nest showed 
itself on the dome of the cathedral. I photographed it, and 
the bird can be plainly seen in the picture on the opposite 
page. While taking this snapshot, our car was surrounded by 
an enormous crowd of natives. I tried to photograph them, 
but the youngsters, who were mischievous boys, would not 
stand still. The result was that the plate was ruined. It 
being unbearably warm, we did not stop often to take photo- 
graphs, preferring to move along the road at a fairly com- 
fortable pace. 

Three kilometers north of Frejenal we took a photograph 
of a modern cemetery. The picture shows very clearly how 
the natives are laid to rest in this part of the world. We 
passed an old man in one of the villages, and I would have 
given much to secure a picture of him; but each time I 
tried, he hid himself in a house. He was covered with tin 
cans and decorated with several ladies' hats. He wore a 
boot on one foot and a slipper on the other, and he was 

[261] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

wearing two or three coats. The beard on his face was 
trimmed so that it was all uneven. Indeed, he was the 
most comical object I think I have ever looked upon. 

At Frejenal we encountered bad roads for 22 kilometers, 
so that we made but i^oor progress. Still the country is fine, 
and we were continually climbing and descending mountain 
sides. Rivers were crossed on several occasions, and all of 
them by means of bridges. 

Jerez-de-las-Caballaros and Barcarrota were the next vil- 
lages we passed through, and very attractive they were, 
but we did not linger in their tempting streets. The towns 
in this section are far cleaner than those in southeastern 
Spain, and their streets in many instances are fairly well 
paved. 

Mountains still continued, and magnificent views, ex- 
tending for almost a hundred miles, opened up before us 
frequently. 

Forty kilometers from Badajoz we once more entered the 
plain. When 17 kilometers from the latter town, we fright- 
ened two horses attached to a cart, and the driver, who was 
sitting on top of a pile of hay reading a newspaper, lost 
control of the team, with the result that the animals ran 
into a ditch, and the last we saw of the wagon, it was in the 
act of turning over. We decided it would not be wise to 
stop. A party of peasants with a brass band was only a 
few feet in front of this cart, and all of them were rather 
hilarious from the effects of liquor. 

At 4.45 p. M., we entered the town of Badajoz, thus ter- 
minating the afternoon's run of 134 kilometers. The Hotel 
Central here is poor; indeed, the worst we so far had encoun- 
tered. The total distance for the day of 219 kilometers 
was covered in 6 hours and 40 minutes. No mishaps of 
any kind had happened; but as the shoe on the right-hand 
back wheel had worn down, we thought it wise to change it. 

[ 262 ] 




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The distances for the day were as follows: 

Kil. 

Castilleja 6 

Camas 7 

Santiponce 11 

Venta de la Pajanosa 28 

Vent a del Alto 37 

Ronquillo 49 

Santa Olalla 73 

Frejenal , 122 

Jerez 144 

Albuera 194 

Badajoz 219 

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1911 

After a hard night, on filthy beds, we emerged at 8.10 
A. M., and, partaking of a cup of chocolate which we made 
ourselves, we started under a cloudless sky for the Portu- 
guese frontier, a few kilometers distant. 
^ Our destination was Lisbon, and the distance to be cov- 
ered was 260 kilometers, by way of Elvas. 

The route was as follows : 

Kil. 

Elvas 15 

Borha 46 

Estremoz 59 

Arrayolos 101 

Montemor 124 

Banha 188 

Setubal 227 

Lisbon 260 

[267] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

The walls of Badajoz, which for us contained only dis- 
agreeable recollections, were gladly left behind. We crossed 
the River Guadiana on a fine old bridge, and entered a tree- 
less plain. Fifteen-odd kilometers in the distance, Elvas, 
built on the side of a mountain, could be seen, shining in 
the bright morning sun. Six kilometers from Badajoz, we 
reached the Spanish customs. After a delay of five minutes 
for the examination of our papers, we were ofl'. 

The Portuguese frontier was reached a kilometer farther, 
and here, to our surprise, we were informed that it was un- 
necessary to have papers of any kind, or even to make the 
deposit that every other country in Europe requires from 
automobilists prior to entering. 

Fearing that the official might not ha^'e quite under- 
stood his business, I made him write on the Spanish docu- 
ments in my possession, to the effect that I had offered to 
make a deposit, but that he had stated it was unnecessary. 
This precaution saved me later, on our leaving Portugal, 
considerable annoyance, for I then found that the usual 
deposit should have been made. We also found that it 
was not necessary to have our luggage examined, so that the 
delay in entering Portugal was but trifling. Such was the 
reception we received from this country, in which we now 
set foot for the first time. 

Elvas proved to be a clean town, with a wonderful set of 
fortifications; two sets of moats, several fine gates, draw- 
bridges and barbed wire fencing wei'e passed. We now 
sped along a good road lined with eucalyptus trees. The 
picture here reproduced gives a good idea of the scenery 
encountered. Just after leaving the town we passed an old 
Roman aqueduct in a good state of preservation. 

There are no signposts in Portugal, but there are many 
roads, and all look alike. The inhabitants, however, were 
quite willing to show us the route that should be taken, and 

[268 ] 




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we managed, with no knowledge of a word of I lie language, 
to pass through llie enlire country wilhoul once getting off 
the right road. 

The houses are strange, low and witiiout windows, and 
in most cases whitewashed. In some instances, red and 
brown paint is used to trim around the windows and near 
the ground. A red tile of fine color is used, and the chimneys, 
long and narrow, are different from those seen in any other 
part of the world. 

Near Estremoz, in the Sierra de Ossa Mountains, a heavy 
fog bank was sighted, and the (hy atmosphere })revailing 
throughout Si)ain was left behind. Fogs and vapor-laden 
air nmst be frefjuent in Portugal, at any rate in this part of 
it, since moss hung in great cjuantities from all the trees. 

Estremoz was also fortified. It is a pretty little town, 
situated on the side of a hill. Ninety kilometers from the 
frontier, or at 11.10 a.m., we stopped under a lone tree in 
the middle of a large plain, for lunch. It was exceedingly 
hot, and as the trees afforded little shade, we were far from 
comfortable during the forty-five mintrtes spent ovrv onv 
re])ast . 

It is interesting to note the c(jnstruclion of culverts and 
the retaining walls and bridges ;Uong the route. They are 
built of brick and cement, and alxn'e the roadway have the 
shape of a long bench, affording the traveler a comfort- 
able seat, should he be in need of rest. 

We i)asse(l, during the morning's run, some xvvy iine 
examples of wall architecture. A photograph of one of 
these is here reproduced. A j)icture is also given of a trav- 
eler on his mule, and of several of the native peasants and 
shepherds. 

The costume of the men throughout Portugal is rather 
interesting, especially their trousers. ""I'lie material ;i round 
the legs is so tightly fitting that it must 1 

[ 27;j ] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

subway puzzle to get into them. A gay red sash, and a 
shirt of variegated colors, surmounted by a broad brimmed 
black hat, completes the costume. Under such a hat and 
in such a costume is to be found, in nine cases out of ten, a 
black-whiskered Portuguese. 

The women, owing to the brilliant coloring of their dresses, 
look more like parrots than anything else I can think of. 
It was all so different from what we had seen, and one and 
all were very pleasant to look upon. 

Having eaten, we started once more on our final stage. 
The Divor River was soon crossed, and the next town, 
Arraiollos, was passed through a few minutes later. The 
country now traversed is covered with long-leaved pine, 
cork trees and sand-dunes. We ran along slowly on a good 
road, taking photos now and then, and on several occasions 
stopped in the shade of some trees to rest and smoke. It 
was certainly hot; but the mists and vapors of the earlier 
part of the day had been left behind. 

The road seemed to run along without any definite pur- 
pose. First it went east, then north, and then south. Evi- 
dently the engineers who built it thought to take in all the 
villages and houses in this section of the country. 

The country continued flat and uninteresting for about 
70 kilometers, until we reached Setubal, at 2.30. Here we 
obtained our first view of the Atlantic Ocean. 

It is necessary to cross the peninsula from the Sado Bay 
to the Tejo River, in order to reach Lisbon, which is situated 
on the opposite side. This peninsula is rather hilly and 
fertile. Its southerly extremity is surmounted by the Sierra 
de Arrabida Mountains. 

Setubal is somewhat of a summer resort, and boasts of 
many fine buildings. Here our troubles began, for it took 
us two hours and a half to reach Almada, only 27 kilometers 
distant. 

[ 274 ] 




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First we got on the wrong road, and a poor one at that, 
and landed in the town of Barreiro, where, as it proved to be 
market day and carnival time combined, a roaring, seeth- 
ing mob svu'rounded us, firing confetti at us, and laughing 
and jeering at our dejected apiaearance. 

Finally, after sitting in the car at the end of a pier for 
half an hour, unable to stand it any longer, with Lisbon 
only a couple of miles across the bay, we decided to move 
on to some other village, and try our luck there to catch a 
ferry, which e^•idently did not exist in this locality. A start 
was therefore made for Almada, where we fortunately found 
a large pier with a railroad and several boats in readiness 
to take passengers across the Tejo. 

^Ye were in luck, and just in time to catch the 4.30 p. m. 
boat. But the motor could not be taken on it, and it was 
necessary for the mechanic to drive the car some few kilo- 
meters farther to the town of Trafaria, where a ferry finally 
landed him in Lisbon at 7.30. 

I do not envj^ any motorist on his ride from Setubal to 
Lisbon. The villages and their inhabitants are a hostile lot 
— dirty, disagreeable and disorderly. 

Our trip across to Lisbon on the ferry lasted but a few 
minutes, but it aft'orded us the opportunity of seeing a 
magnificent harbor, bordered by a very attractive city. 

The day's run, of 260 kilometers, was covered in 7 hours 
and 35 minutes. The roads varied from good to poor, but 
generally speaking they are better than those in Spain. 

Arriving at Lisbon, we proceeded to charter a hack, and 
advanced as quickly as the hack could go to the hotel. 

NOTES 

It was necessary to change the left-hand front and rear 
tires, as they were worn down to the canvas. They had 

[ 277 ] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

done wonderful work, however, as they had brought us 
through from Nice. We still had on, and in fairly good con- 
dition, our original front right-hand tire. 

LISBON 
The capital of Portugal contains a population of 310,000. 



Hotels 



Avenida Palace 

I wag. 

Hotel Braganca. Good 
Hotel Central 
Durand's Hotel 



I Run by the Compagnie des 
I Wagons-Lits. Excellent 



The town is laid out in fine big boulevards, and has some 
palatial squares, three or four gardens, a menagerie, and 
several large public buildings. 

The water front is pictm-esque, the docks and arsenal im- 
posing. Some of the streets in the older part of the town 
are winding, and most of them are dirty and badly paved, 
containing, in many cases, evidence of Moorish regime. 

Ulysses is claimed to have been the founder of the city; 
but under the Romans, who captured the place under Julius 
Caesar, it was of little importance. Porto, in the northern 
part of Portugal, was, at that time, the chief city. 

Prior to 1147, when again in the hands of the Moors, 
Alphonso Henriciues captured it, and in 1394 it became the 
seat of an Archbishopric. In 1775, the city was visited by a 
terrific earthquake, causing the deaths of over eighty thou- 
sand inhabitants, and the loss of several hundred millions 
in damage to property. Since that time practically noth- 
ing of importance has occurred within its walls. 

From an architectural point of view, Lisbon is not very 
interesting, and the tourist, after a stay of twenty-four 
hours, is not loth to depart. 

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The cathedral, called La Se, is probably the finest of all 
the buildings, but it is not of much importance. 

Cintra, situated a few miles from Lisbon, is worth a visit. 
It is the Newport of Portugal. 

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1911, AND TUESDAY, 
FEBRUARY 28, 1911 

We stopped over at Lisbon to visit the town and re- 
cuperate from our long journey. The weather was fine on 
both days. 

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1, 1911 

A beautiful day with a clear sky. At 8.40 a. m., we left for 

Bussaco, by the following route: 

Kil. 

Santarem 78 

Torres-Novas 40 

Thomar 24 

Coimbra 71 

Bussaco 25 

Total 238 

The roads for the first 50 kilometers from Lisbon, skirting 
the Tejo River, are poor; indeed, I may say they are bad. 
Numerous villages are passed, and one and all are dirty and 
uninteresting. The houses are poorly kept. The scenery 
along the route is "flat, stale and unprofitable." On our left, 
was a low-lying hill, and the mud flats of the Bay of Lisbon 
extended themselves to the right for several miles. At 
Santarem, an uninteresting place, the scenery begins to 
change; the hills appear and the route grows more pictur- 
esque as we advance. 

At 12.30, we stopped for lunch in a large forest. Cork 
trees were in abundance in all directions. The country we 

[ 283 ] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

had been passing through foi" the hxst three days provides 
Europe with most of this product. 

Our morning's run, of 132 kilometers, had been traversed 
in 3 hours and 50 minutes, with little of interest to record. 

While lunching, a band of gypsies, over twentj'' in number, 
came around a bend in the road, and caused us some dis- 
comfort, by their curiosity and seeming lack of cordiality. 
Nevertheless none of them made any remarks, and they 
passed onward with no unpleasant occurrence having taken 
place. 

At 1.10, we were again off, and this time over a hilly road. 
Ten kilometers and the town of Thomar loomed up, an 
interesting old place, with a fine monastery surmounting 
a hill on its outskirts. Fifty kilometers south of Coimbra, 
we encountered the mountains. The route now became 
tortuous, winding in and out among the hills and mountain 
tops. The scenery, however, was superb. Finally, after 
crossing the Mondego River, a clear flowing stream, we 
entered the town of Coimbra at 4.00 p. m. 

Twenty thousand people inhabit this settlement, the 
foundation of which dates back to the time of the Moors. 
In 1064, it was captured by Don Fernando the Great. At 
one time it was the capital of the Kingdom. It was near 
here that the Duke of Wellington, at the head of forty 
thousand men, fought the celebrated battle of Bussaco. 
The university is one of the finest in southern Europe. The 
streets are narrow and not well paved. The main one, 
however, is in fairly good shape, and clean. The houses are 
interesting, and although we only passed through, to make 
Bussaco for the night, we should have been glad to stay over 
here had we not been pressed for time. 

TT . 1 / Hotel Continental. On the river front. Passable 
Hotels { ^^ , _, 

Hotel Braganca 

[284] 




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By 4.10, we had left the town behind, and soon pine 
woods intermingled with cork trees surrounded us in all 
directions. Driving the 25 kilometers from Coimbra, we 
reached the Bussaco Hotel, which occupies the middle of 
an old monastery, surrounded by a wall over seven miles 
long. A beautiful situation, on the side of a mountain, over- 
looking the plains to the west, with a faint glimpse of the 
Atlantic Ocean in the distance. 

We arrived at the door of the hotel at 5.00 p. m., thus ter- 
minating the day's run of 238 kilometers in 7 hours and 
40 minutes. 

The interior of the hotel is impressive. At one time the 
place was used as a palace for the kings, who went there the 
hot summer months. Of late years, however, it has been 
abandoned by royalty and is now transformed into a hotel. 
It possesses fine carvings, a magnificent hall and some paint- 
ings. Beautiful walks intersect the grounds, and small 
chapels dot the landscape here and there. Here also may 
be found those quiet English tourists who go to secluded 
spots to spend the winter months. 

THURSDAY, MARCH 2, 1911 

Once more the sun above us. We walked to the top of 
the mountains and photographed the hotel, seen far below. 
A splendid view of the Atlantic Ocean, 40 kilometers off, 
rewarded us for our ascent. To the westward, fringed with 
snow, the Sierra de Estrella Mountains could be clearly seen. 

The splendid view could scarcely be surpassed for its 
impressive beauty. The trees have been specially cared for 
for centuries and are fine specimens. We spent the whole 
morning walking over the grounds and enjoying the air. 
At 1.40, after a good lunch, we left for Porto. 

A tiresome day's run of five hours was ahead of us. The 

[289] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

surface of the road varied much, but the last 30 kilome- 
ters were exceedingly poor, being full of holes, and almost 
impassable. 

We were somewhat compensated for our discomfort, how- 
ever, by some fine views as we ascended and descended 
the mountains that continually rose up before us. The 
villages are uninteresting and dirty. A photograph taken 
and here reproduced shows fairly well their general con- 
ditions. 

The women are of a peculiar type. Two girls and a young 
woman posed for us on one occasion: the queer little caps, 
or headgear, worn by them, are to be plainly seen in this 
accompanying illustration. 

Some of the larger houses through this section of Portugal 
are finished with tile on the outside, strongly resembling 
the interior of a bath-room. The attractive chimneys to be 
seen in southern Portugal hardly exist here; but the oxen 
and carts met in this section of the country are unique. 
The yokes are carved and painted, and of curious appear- 
ance. The steers themselves are fine specimens, the finest 
I have ever seen in any part of the world, while those in the 
town qf Porto itself have no equal. Their horns are of 
great length and widely extended. 

The earlier part of the run took us through woods and 
by low-lying hills. The latter part, as already described, 
was mountainous. During the 91 kilometers traversed, 
there were three repair gangs encountered, doing road work. 
Women as well as men were engaged in this work, and, 
judging from the rate at which they were picking, I 
should say it would be impossible to keep these roads in 
anything like good condition. It was, however, interesting 
to watch them. The women, who made up about half the 
gang, broke and carried stones. The men placed the rocks 
and led a span of oxen, hitched to a large stone roller, across 

[290] 




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the surface. Others filled in the crevices with dirt which 
they carried in little baskets. There seems to be no such 
system in keeping up the roads in Portugal as we found in 
Spain, where the keeper, as already stated, had a fine house 
for himself and his family to live in. It is a pity that this 
matter of road-repairing is not better attended to in Por- 
tugal, for the roads could be put into first-class shape for a 
very small outlay. Foundations, bridges and grades are all 
in excellent condition. All that is lacking is system and a 
steam roller. Indeed, I believe there is not a steam roller 
in the whole of Portugal. 

At ^4.45, we obtained our first view of the town of Porto. 
A queer place, built on the side of a hill, sloping down to the 
River Douro, which we crossed on a bridge of peculiar con- 
struction. The upper part is for trams and wagons, the 
lower part for wagons only. The lower part, in the event 
of the approach of a steamer, is raised and gives sufficient 
clearance for the tallest mast to pass under. After crossing 
this bridge, we entered the town, where a seething mob 
greeted us at every turn. The street we now had to ascend 
is really dangerous for either pedestrian or driver. At first 
speed, accelerated, we barely managed to get to the top of 
it. If a pedestrian's foot should slip, he could not prevent 
himself from rolling down to the bottom. The town is 
dirty and the hotels are poor. The streets are badly kept, 
and the cathedral, the only building of importance, is un- 
interesting. 

At 5.10, we drew up in front of the hotel, and although we 
had made but a short run of 91 kilometers, we were very 
glad to alight from the car, after the fatigue of the bad 
roads of the latter part of our route. 

The Grand Hotel de Porto is grand in name only; the 
accommodation is poor and the dining-room dingy. 

The route for the day's run is as follows : 

[ 295 ] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

Kil. 

Mealhada 6 

Anadia 7 

Albergaria 23 

Oliveira 16 

Porto 39 

Total 91 

The entire run was made in 3 hours and 20 minutes. We 
had now driven 2,797 kilometers since leaving Nice, which 
distance we had covered in 80 hours and 40 minutes. 

Porto has a population of 140,000. It is a very ancient 
city, associated with the many protracted peninsula wars 
and other disturbances from the outer world. 



FRIDAY, MARCH 3, 1911 

We spent the morning hours walking through the streets, 
visiting the cathedral, and endeavoring unsuccessfully to 
locate some old port wine. It was exceedingly hot, and 
we experienced great discomfort in negotiating the steep 
grades. 

At 2.00 p. M., after partaking of a poor lunch, we were en 
route for Vigo, expecting to reach Spanish soil before sunset. 
Owing to the winding condition of the streets, and to our 
fear of taking the wrong road, we procured the services of 
a guide to escort us to the suburbs. The town is well 
fortified from the north, and a heavy infantry guard was 
located on the ramparts. 

The first 30 kilometers of road are excellent, but unin- 
teresting. At Azurara, 30 kilometers from Porto, the Atlantic 
coast is reached, and from here on for the next 50 kilometers 
the surface of the road is poor. The route is practically flat. 
The villages take on an air of greater importance; they are 

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clean, and their population supports itself chiefly from the 
catch of the sea. 

Vianna is the next large town. A bridge of considerable 
length spans the River Limia, on which the town is built. 
Here we saw thousands of oxen which had been gathered 
from all sections of the country to be sold at market. The 
beasts were very large, and as perfect specimens as could be 
found in any part of the world. 

A few kilometers north of Vianna, the road becomes good 
again and the St. Luzia Mountains are skirted on the right. 
To the left, the sea is in plain view. 

Twenty kilometers north of Vianna the bank of the 
River Minho is reached. It is an extremely picturesque 
stream, separating Spain from Portugal. At 4.55, we drew 
up at Valenca, an attractive town surmounted by an im- 
pregnable fortress. 

Before crossing the river, it was necessary to have our 
papers examined, which, owing to the stupidity or ineffi- 
ciency of the official at Badajoz, we were unable to produce. 
Luckily, as I mentioned before, I had had inserted on my 
Spanish papers a statement to the effect that we had offered 
to make the required deposit, which had been refused. This 
caused considerable excitement, and it was only after half 
a dozen officials had examined and passed on the papers 
that we were finally allowed to depart. During our discus- 
sion with the Portuguese officials we were fortunate enough 
to become acquainted with a man who spoke broken French, 
and anticipating further trouble with the Spanish customs, 
owing to the late hour, we thought that his presence might 
be of value to us when we arrived on the other side of the 
river. We therefore begged his services for the purpose of 
helping us through our present predicament. He consented 
willingly. As we expected, the Spanish douane was closed. 
Nevertheless, a courteous official escorted us some two kilo- 

[301] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

meters to the town of Tuy, where the chief official himself 
was found in his rooms. A few words only were necessary 
to explain to him our unfortunate situation, and with a 
grace which is to be met with in enlightened countries only, 
the customs were opened and we were allowed to proceed. 

Tuy, which is situated on the northern bank of the river, 
svu'mounts the crest of a small hill. It boasts a population 
of 1^^,000 souls. A wide avenue with some fine trees, where 
the peasantry promenade in the evenings, is the chief point 
of interest here. The town dates back to 700 a. d. It was, 
at one time, the residence of a Gothic king. 

We were off again at G.OO p. m. The road which now 
stretched before us was good; and we soon reached Porrino, 
where we turned off into the mountains for Vigo. The steep 
ascent which followed was quickly surmounted, but darkness 
having set in, we found it necessary to light the lamps, and 
slow progress was made in descending the mountain, be- 
cause of the numerous and dangerous curves encountered. 

Nevertheless, at 6.40 p. m., we were installed at Vigo. A 
comfortable hotel is the Continental, where we stopped, 
and the view to be obtained there of the harbor is fine. 

Looking back over the day's run, we agreed that the 
section between Ancora and Valenca was by far the most 
interesting we had traveled through Portugal, It resem- 
bles much the Riviera in southern France. The distance 
of 29 kilometers from Valenca to Vigo was covered in 45 
minutes, nuiking a total of 153 kilometers traversed in 3 
hours and 40 minutes. 

The following route should be taken: 

Kit 

Villa de Conde 25 

Povoa de Varzim 29 

Esposende 48 

Vianna de Castello 70 

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KU. 

Ancora 85 

Caniinha . 95 

Villa Nova de Cerveira 107 

Valenca de Mino 122 

Tuy 124 

Porrino 137 

Vigo 153 

SATURDAY, MARCH 4, 1911 

Spent in sight-seeing and resting. 

Vigo is a town of 23,000 inhabitants. It is picturesquely 
situated on the baj^ of the same name. During certain 
periods of the year, it is the headquarters of the Spanish 
fleet. It was here that the Duke of Ormond, in 1702, de- 
stroyed the French and Spanish ships. In 1809 it was 
taken by the French, but a few months later was re-taken 
by the inhabitants themselves. 

The town is fairly interesting, with boulevards that are 
clean and with shops that are attractive. The climate is 
healthful. The quarters set aside for the fishermen, skirting 
the old harbor, are attractive. We took several good photo- 
graphs of them. The fish market is worth visiting. It sup- 
plies fish to the city of Madrid. 

^j. jT i 1 \ Hotel Continental. Excellent 

1 Hotel Central. Good 

SUNDAY. MARCH 5, 1911 

Cloudy. Kt 9.10, we were under way for La Coruna, 
situated on the Bay of Biscay, a point which is the north- 
western extremity of the Iberian Peninsula. The coast 
line from Vigo to the north is much broken, being a con- 

[307] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

tinuous series of beautiful bays and harbors. The moun- 
tains bordering these indentations are high, and rather 
barren of vegetation. 

For the first twenty-odd kilometers, we skirted the Bay 
of Vigo and obtained many a fine glimpse of the interior 
country. The road is good. The villages scattered on the 
mountain sides are uninteresting, and the population poor 
in aspect. The horses, oxen and other animals appear to 
be ill fed and badly taken care of. A note of interest is the 
corn cribs in this section of the country. They are made 
of stone and surmounted by a cross. Many chapels, called 
calvaires, are scattered along the route, attesting to the deeply 
religious nature of the inhabitants. 

Pontevedra, containing 21,000 inhabitants, is a clean 
town, situated in a valley. It boasts of the ruins of the 
Church of Santo Domingo. From here on, with the excep- 
tion of the last 15 kilometers, we ran through a superb 
country, over good roads to Santiago, which town we reached 
at 11.45. Here we stopped for lunch at the dilapidated 
little Hotel de I'Europe. A poor place in which to spend the 
night but passable for lunch. 

Santiago is a dull city, situated on the summit of a small 
hill, and surrounded by fairly high mountains. In olden 
days it used to be a great resort for pilgrims. The streets 
are narrow and dirty, and if it were not for the cathedral, 
the hospital and some fine old houses which tell of by-gone 
pomp and glory, the place would hardly be worth visiting. 

The cathedral, erected in the year 1082, is very fine. 
Owing to numerous repairs, it is not easy to distinguish the 
various styles of architecture. The interior is Byzantine and 
impresses the observer greatly. The choir stalls are hand- 
some, the cloisters superb and the largest in Spain. 

The hospital, known as the Hospito de los Reyes, was 
erected by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella for the pil- 

[ 308 ] 




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grims, in the year 1504. A number of fine tapestries are to 
be seen here. The Convent of San Martin, a large, fine 
edifice, is also worthy of attention. 

At 1.30, having seen all that was to be visited, we headed 
our car to the north for the afternoon's journey. We found 
a splendid road during the entire run. The first section, as 
far as the Tambre River, is mountainous. Here the aspect 
of the country changes, and the rolling, barren section of 
the Province of Coruna is entered. We saw but little top 
soil that a farmer could till. The houses are poor in appear- 
ance and built of field-stone, held together by cement. In 
many instances the outsides had not even been finished and 
it was rarely that a whitewashed building was to be seen. 
Some of the houses have balconies ranging along the entire 
front on the second floor. These are built of wood and, 
to a certain extent, resemble those of our own southern 
states. 

The inhabitants, nevertheless, are agreeable, though not 
over-burdened with brains. They seem to attain a ripe 
old age, for half the population seemed, in appearance at 
any rate, to be centenarians. 

An automobile diligence runs between Coruna and San- 
tiago, making the trip in a fairly short time. With the good 
roads, it affords the tourist a splendid opportunity to get an 
idea of the general lay of the land. 

We had been running along at a great altitude without 
realizing it, for when within 25 kilometers of La Coruna we 
encountered a long steep grade for 10 kilometers at the foot 
of which is the Bay of Biscay. 

By 3.00 p. M., we were within the limits of the town, com- 
pleting the day's run of 166 kilometers in 3 hours and 55 
minutes. The morning's run of 103 kilometers had been 
covered in 2 hours and 25 minutes; the afternoon's run of 
63 kilometers in 1 hour and 30 minutes. 

[311] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

The following was the route taken : 

Kil. 

Vigo to Pontevedra 33 

Pontevedra to Caldas 24 

Caldas to Santiago 46 

Santiago to La Coruna 63 

Total 166 

The distance from Nice, 3,116 kilometers, had been 
covered in 88 hours and 15 minutes, with only one mishap, 
a punctured tire. 

During the day many severe showers passed near us, but 
our usual luck seemed to be with us on this journey, and we 
managed to escape them all. 

The town of La Coruna, which contains 42,000 inhabi- 
tants, possesses some good hotels. The best are the Francia 
and the Hotel Europa. It is an amusing place. The houses 
from the first floor upwards are enclosed in glass piazzas, and 
during the afternoon promenade the population turns out 
in force, the males strolling along the streets, the females 
lining the verandas. Several theaters and cafes are worth 
visiting. The port is open to shipping during all weathers. 

The history of the town dates back to the time of the 
Phoenicians. In 693 it was occupied by the Romans. Here, 
in 1588, the Armada was refitted. In 1809 the Battle of La 
Coruna was fought in this neighborhood. The town has 
no place of interest from an architectural point of view. 
It differs in few respects from any other modern seaport. 

MONDAY, MARCH 6, 1911 

Rain accompanied our start. This was extremely un- 
fortunate, as we had 325 kilometers to cover ere the day's 
journey was to terminate at Gijon. We were under way 

[312] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

by 8.20. It was necessary, owing to the poor condition of 
the road by the sea route, to take the inland route over the 
St. de la Loba range, descending and joining the coast 
again at Ribadeo. The route to Villalba, by Otero-de-Rey, 
is good, but very mountainous. Fine views were continually 
being spread before our eyes. When within ten kilometers 
of Ribadeo, the sea is skirted and the flat lands are reached. 
An interesting country to pass through. The towns are 
small and might be termed "dead ones." The villages are 
dirty and bear no resemblance to each other. The houses 
are modern, and built in any kind of style and fashion. 

A stage line, composed of gasoline motors, runs along 
this road. No rails are laid through this section of the coun- 
try, and the only other means of communication is either by 
sail along the coast or on horseback through the mountains. 

The climb up the Sierra de la Loba Mountains is fine, as 
is also the descent. The town of Villalba is rather clean in 
appearance. Here we rose again over the Sierra de Lonen- 
zana range only to descend abruptly on the other side, 
arriving at 12 o'clock at the town of Ribadeo, situated on 
the Bay of Biscay. At the hotel, which is very poor, food 
was refused us unless we stayed over until the time for 
serving the regular meal. With the long run before us, we 
decided, however, to move on. We therefore took on, instead, 
30 liters of gasoline with which to replenish our tanks. We 
had, as usual, our lunch basket well provisioned, so that 
1.10 p. M. found us in a sheltered spot on the side of a hill 
partaking of a hasty meal. A howling wind with continuous 
gusts of rain blew and beat around us. 

From Ribadeo the route runs to the southward around 
the bay of the same name for some fifteen kilometers. Then 
to the northward again to the opposite bank, only about a 
quarter of a mile distant from the town. During the after- 
noon the weather cleared somewhat, and every now and 

[313] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

then the sun would peep out from behind the clouds. Fifty 
minutes for lunch, and at 2.00 p. m. we were again off. 

Our route now skirted the ocean. The contour of the 
land is peculiar, very rough and much broken by valleys of 
considerable depth. We were rising and falling continu- 
ally, and had it not been for the good surface of the road, 
the constant labor of putting on the brakes and changing 
speed would have tired us out. 

The Cordillera Cantabria Mountains, the backbone of 
northern Spain, raised their snow-capped peaks to a tre- 
mendous height to the south. The Sierra de Ranadoiro 
Mountains were also traversed when near Cape de Busto. 

Many fine bridges have been built in this section, and 
the upkeep of roads, bridges, viaducts, etc., is not better 
attended to even in France. 

At 90 kilometers from Ovieda, just after passing over a 
steel bridge, we turned sharply to the left. This is the short 
and most direct way to the town of Gijon. Several fine 
streams were crossed, the larger being the Navia, Canero 
and Malon. 

Thirty kilometers from Gijon, the road became suddenly 
very bad. Large holes made the riding almost impossible, so 
that when we reached our destination at 6.00 p. m., we were 
almost in an exhausted condition. The Hotel Malet, located 
in the port and in full view of the docks, is a clean and well- 
kept place. Good food is obtainable here. 

The street on which we entered Gijon was almost im- 
passable, and owing to the rain and high winds which we 
had encountered all day, we were covered from head to 
foot with mud and dirt. It was blowing so hard that the 
harbor was a mass of broken water, and people could hardly 
stand on their legs against the terrific force of the gale. 
Nevertheless, we had had an enjoyable ride, and had made 
the run without a mishap. The country passed through 

[314] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

is covered with small white pine. During the earlier 
part of the run, we found the country to possess a fair 
top soil good for farming purposes, of which the peasant 
has taken advantage and tilled almost every inch of ground. 
In many cases the woods had been cleared and fields culti- 
vated to the summits of the low-lying mountains. 

In the latter part of the day's run, conditions were differ- 
ent. A shelf or plateau extends from the foot of the moun- 
tains for a mile or so to the sea, then it drops off abruptly 
to the water's edge, over a sheer cliff some three to four 
hundred feet in depth. On this plateau or tableland are 
the only villages that are to be found in this section of the 
country. Back in the mountains it is wild to a degree. 

The houses here are of an architecture of their own. They 
are raised from the ground some six to eight feet on stone 
pillars, the framework of the building being placed on top 
of these columns so that none of the buildings has either 
foundation or cellar. 

It is interesting to note how feed bags for the oxen are 
carried. These are jammed in between the steers' horns 
and covered with a large sheep skin which in most cases 
slips down so low over their heads that the poor animals 
can hardly see. 

Our day's run of 325 kilometers was covered in 8 hours 

and 50 minutes. 

The route to be taken is as follows: 

KU. 

La Coruna to Villalba 104 

Villalba to Ribadeo 69 

Ribadeo to Luarca 71 

Luarca to Cudillero 30 

Cudillero to Aviles 25 

Aviles to Gijon 26 

Total 325 

[315] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

TUESDAY, march;?, 1911 

Rain and high winds. Stopped over and visited the 
town. Nothing of interest to be seen except the shipping 
in the small harbor. 



WEDNESDAY, MARCH 8, 1911 

Rain during the morning; clear in the afternoon. We 
left Gijon at 8.10. For the first 10 kilometers we found a 
poor road, but after that it was good during the entire run 
to within 10 kilometers of Bilbao. Owing to the rain we 
were somewhat disheartened with the day's prospects, as 
292 kilometers of unknown country lay before us. 

Rain accompanied us as far as Llanes, 95 kilometers from 
Gijon. The route much resembled the latter part of the 
previous day's run. Tortuous ruts were encountered every 
few minutes, prohibiting any kind of speed, especially as 
the surface of the road was wet and slippery. Several small 
mountains were crossed from which good views of the sur- 
rounding country are to be obtained. The old Cordillera 
Cantabria range still extended itself to the south of us, and 
its summits loomed up to dizzy heights. 

At Llanes good food can be procured at the station restau- 
rant. From here on to Torrelavega, 169 kilometers from 
Gijon, the route is even more mountainous. Of course we 
had a splendid opportunity of seeing the surrounding coun- 
try, but as we had been in the hills all this time, we prayed 
that some flat land might appear. 

The country is rich to a degree and the people prosperous. 
The houses are roofed with a peculiar red tile, blending well 
with the color of the surrounding country. The dress of 
the people calls for little comment. The wooden shoes they 
wear have supports under them, raising the wearer some 

[316] 




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three or four inches from the ground. It is amusing to see 
the people walking with this clumsy foot-gear, the object of 
which is to keep the soles of the feet free from damp. 

At Torrelavega, to avoid running into the town of San- 
tunder, the following road, on which a good surface is to 
be found, was taken. From the town of Torrelavega, which 
is a small summer resort, the main road leading to San- 
tunder is in the middle of the town where you turn to the 
left as shown on a sign board. Do not take this. Continue 
straight on and at the end of the street at the foot of a hill 
you cross tracks and take the first turning to the left. Fol- 
low this route over a small mountain, and down to a valley 
on a long straight stretch, crossing the Besaya River on a 
small temporary wooden bridge. Two kilometers farther, 
after passing a railroad station, you will join the Route 
National, leading from Madrid to Burgos and Santunder, 
at the kilometer stone marked "14 kilometers to Santunder." 
Here turn to the left. Arrived here, we had covered 12 kilo- 
meters between this place and the point from which began 
the detour at Torrelavega. 

We continued on the national highway to within 6 kilo- 
meters of Santunder, where, at the junction of this road 
with a trolley running on the Bilbao route, we turned to 
the right and followed the route to Laredo. For a few kilo- 
meters the surface of the road is poor, but when the trolley 
is left behind conditions at once improve. 

The town of Santona is now seen on the left. Situated 
at the foot of the mountain, it rises majestically out of the 
Bay of Ria de Marron, somewhat resembling the Rock of 
Gibraltar. Laredo, the next town of importance, has a fine 
old square with very ancient buildings. 

As we were pressed for time, we passed quickly on, and 
immediately after leaving the town began to ascend a moun- 
tain. The climb affords a good view of the town of Laredo, 

[ 319 ] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

and the country we were now entering was grand and wild 
to a degree. We ascended a fifteen per cent grade and were 
much surprised at the dangerous condition of the road. 
There is no parapet wall, and sheer drops of from one to 
two thousand feet were constantly yawning up before us. 
Occasional glimpses of the sea are obtained, as well as superb 
views of the mountains, covered with many feet of snow. 
Indeed, these views alone make a trip through this section 
of country well worth taking. At Ponta de Sonabia, we re- 
joined the sea and skirted it for the rest of the run. Many 
mines are being worked here, the hills producing a good 
quality of ore. 

Finally, when within 23 kilometers of Bilbao, at the 
mouth of the Bilbao River, we entered a built-up section 
alive with children, making it almost impossible to advance, 
owing to their pranks. Happily, 1 was able to get even with 
them on several occasions. In many places the road con- 
tained large puddles of water, so that when a j'oungster would 
rush out and make a face, throw his cap in the air, or fire 
stones, sticks or any other thing he found handy, a quick 
move with the front wheel into one of these puddles would be 
sufficient to cover him from head to foot with dirty water. 
We took great pleasure in thus serving out the little rascals, 
and their surprise and astonishment at receiving the contents 
of the puddles added to our amusement. x4s we continued 
to advance, matters became even worse. People literally 
swarmed o^^er the streets, and refused to get out of our way. 

Life along this river front must be far from uninterest- 
ing. Factories cover the ground the entire distance, giving 
the district an appearance like that of Pittsburgh. x\fter 
our experience of Spain, to come upon this little commer- 
cial wonder, it was not difficult for us to realize the fact 
that the town of Bilbao is second to Barcelona in commer- 
cial importance. 

[320] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

The Viznaya Hotel, where we stopped for the night, is 
good and clean. We drew up in front of it, none the worse 
for our tough ride, at 5.40 p. m. 

The day's run was as follows: 

Left Gijon 8.10 a. m. 

Arrived Villalba 11.40 a.m. Lunch 

Left Villalba ; . . 12.40 p. m. 

Arrived Bilbao 5.40 p. m. 

Morning's run, 3 hours and 30 minutes. Afternoon's, 
5 hours. 

The following is the route taken: 





Kil. 


Villaviciosa .... 


28 


Venta del Puerto 


36 


Colunga 


46 


Car a via 


53 


Ribadesella .... 


67 


Nueva 


78 


Bricia 


85 


Posada 


86 


Llanes .... ^h 


_ 95 


Bao ■! 


H 115 



Unquera 118 

Pesues 121 

Prelleso 126 

San Vincente de la 

Barquera 130 

Lamadrid 137 



Kil. 

Vallines 140 

Treceno 144 

Cabezon de la Sal . . 150 

Hontoria 151 

Periedo 155 

Carranceja 156 

Barcenaciones .... 157 

Quijas 159 

Valles 161 

Helguera 162 

Torres 165 

Torrelavega 169 

Guarnaza 192 

Baruna de Cicei'o . . 223 

Laredo 

Bilbao 



69 



Total distance so far since leaving Nice, 3,733 kilometers, 
covered in 105 hours and 35 minutes. 



[321] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

THURSDAY, MARCH 9, 1911 

Rain, Stopped at Bilbao. The town is modern and up- 
to-date in every respect. It has nothing of interest in the 
way of architecture, resembhng, as it does, some well-to-do 
English manufacturing city. It is picturesquely situated 
on the river of the same name, surrounded by high moun- 
tains, which gives it a moist and not very healthful climate. 

It has many fine hotels, theaters, boulevards and shops. 

FRIDAY, MARCH 10, 1911 

A beautiful morning greeted us for our last day's run 
through the Iberian Peninsula. We left Bilbao at 9.50, and 
took the short route to Deva over the inland drive. Durango, 
57 kilometers distant, is the first town of importance on the 
way. The road is described in guide books as being in poor 
condition. As a matter of fact, it was the best we had en- 
countered in Spain; smooth as a billiard table the entire 
way, with work gangs, two steam rollers and other para- 
phernalia constantly repairing the worn parts. 

Our way now wound itself through a mountainous coun- 
try. Some of the peaks are crested with snow, and trees 
are few and far apart. The houses resemble Swiss chalets. 
The towns are clean and the inhabitants well-to-do. At 
10.50, just after passing through Eermua, a pass of con- 
siderable altitude lay before us. The scenery here is very 
fine. At 11.10, we passed through Elgdibar, and then dropped 
for the next few kilometers into a valley where a swift-flow- 
ing stream is skirted to the town of Deva, located on the 
Bay of Biscay. 

At Deva the scenery changes, the high, wild mountains 
of the interior being no longer a characteristic. The town 
itself has one or two second-class hotels and several small 

[322] 




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villas. It is evidently a summer resort for those seeking 
quiet and rest. 

The drive now skirts the sea for a few kilometers and is 
extremely fine. Then back again into the mountains, only 
to return to the sea again at Zumaya, and from here on as 
far as Zarranz, the road is constructed only a few feet above 
the level of the water. i.\s we advanced, the sea constantly 
dashed spray in our faces. 

Twenty-four kilometers from San Sebastian, the sea is 
once more left for the mountains. At the top of one of the 
summits of the low-lying range that is now climbed, we saw 
the Pyrenees. It is noteworthy that the turns along this 
entire section are banked so that automobilists can take 
them at a fairly good speed. 

At 12.40, San Sebastian was reached, and here we stopped 
for lunch. The morning's run was 129 kilometers. Lunch 
over, we drove to the post office for our mail, and at 2.20 
we were on the way for the frontier at Hendaye. At 2.50, 
we sighted the douane. 

The road for the last 20 kilometers to Irum is in splendid 
shape, and great speed can be made over its well-tarred sur- 
face. The Pyrenees form a fine background on the right, 
while the Bay of Biscay glistened in the sun on ovir 
left. 

The customs officials at both the Spanish and French 
douanes were most courteous, and our deposit made on 
entering southern Spain was returned. It took but fifteen 
minutes to examine our luggage at the French douane, and 
at 3.05 we were ofi^ once more — this time on French soil. 

We ran to Biarritz, 33 kilometers distant. We paraded 
through the streets, passing in front of the casino. We then 
left this charming watering resort, the Monte Carlo of the 
west coast of France, without having made a stop in it. 

Six kilometers farther, at the town of Bayonne, we termi- 

[ 325 ] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

nated the day's run at 4.00 p. m. The Hotel de Commerce is 
the best in the town; it is good and clean. 

The total day's run of 177 kilometers was covered in 4 
hours and 15 minutes, without a mishap, over fine roads for 
the entire distance. 

We had now covered 3,910 kilometers since leaving Nice, 
the actual elapsed time for the distance being 109 hours 
and 50 minutes. 

Bayonne is an interesting old town and, like most French 
places, clean and well laid out. The places of interest are 
the old Chateau Vieux, massive in construction and interest- 
ing from the historical events which have occurred within 
its walls. The Black Prince at one time made it his head- 
quarters. Another place to visit is Napoleon's house, where 
he had his headquarters in 1804. The cathedral is interest- 
ing, although much restored. It is unfortunate that it is 
so hemmed in on all sides by houses, as this prevents the 
sightseer obtaining a true impression of its fine architecture. 

SATURDAY, MARCH 11, 1911 

Cloudy. At 10.25, we left Bayonne for Bordeaux by way 
of Dax and Mont de Marsan. This is a different route from 
the one usually taken and proved to be the better. The 
road is interesting, being practically a series of long tan- 
gents, one after the other, extending over a flat country 
covered with pines. The 'pave, where we encountered it, 
is good. 

We stopped at 11.55 at the Hotel Richelieu, in the town of 
Mont de Marsan, where we obtained a delicious repast in a 
clean inn. The hundred kilometers that now separated us 
from Bayonne had been traversed in 1 hour and 30 minutes. 

At 2.00 p. M., we started for Bordeaux, 130 kilometers dis- 
tant. The road taken passes through Roquefort, Cap- 

[ 326 ] 




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LOG OF MY MOTOR 

tieux. Bazas and Langon to Bordeaux. The route is cobbled 
for two-thirds of the way, but the stones are smoothly laid 
and great speed can be made on them, The surrounding 
country was similar to that passed through in the morning; 
old pines lining the route, each one tapped for the resin it 
contained. 

At Langon the aspect of the country changed, and on 
reaching the Garonne River, the vineyards producing the 
well-known Bordeaux wines appeared in sight. The villages 
are clean, and fairly up to date, and the people well-to-do. 

At 4.00 p. M., we drove to the hotel in Bordeaux. The total 
distance for the day of 230 kilometers had been covered in 
3 hours and 30 minutes. 

The hotels here are all good. Among the best are the 
Hotel Terminus, run by the Compagnie des Wagons-Lits; 
the Chapon-Fins, which boasts of a restaurant that has no 
equal; the Hotel Princess et de la Paix, and the Hotel de 
France. 

SUNDAY, MARCH 12, 1911 

Rain. We left at 10.00 a. m. in the expectation of reach- 
ing Tours. Twenty-three kilometers from town, however, 
we struck a very bad railroad crossing, at high speed. Both 
front springs collapsed, and we were compelled to return to 
Bordeaux for repairs. 

MONDAY, MARCH 13, 1911 
Rain. At Bordeaux. 

TUESDAY, MARCH U, 1911 

x'Vll repairs completed. At 9.05, we crossed the Garonne 
River on our way to Chatellerault. We decided to take 
another route to Angouleme rather than the one I had usually 

[ 329 ] 



LOG OF MY MOTOR 

run over, and, therefore, set our course for Montlieu. About 
18 kilometers "from Bordeaux, crossed the Dordogne River 
by a fine bridge, the approaches to which are very im- 
posing. The country traversed is a mass of vineyards. 
At Montlieu the aspect changes. Here forests and a fairly 
rolling country are met with. 

At 11.05, we were in Angovdeme, 123 kilometers from 
Bordeaux. Ruffec, 44 kilometers north of Angouleme, came 
next, and here we stopped at 11.50 at the Hotel de France 
to partake of our midday meal. The inn is small; we were 
therefore much surprised to find good food. The bed- 
rooms also are clean and inviting. 

At the rear of the hotel is manufactured the pate de fois 
gras, the gourmet's delicacy sold all over the world. We 
visited the factory. During the lunch hour, as we were 
backing into the garage, our front right-hand tire was 
punctured by a large nail, and this, with the shoe which had 
served us so well on our run through Spain and Portugal, 
had to be removed. It was with regret that we saw it 
taken off, as we had hoped to make the whole run without 
changing the tire. However, we had little reason to com- 
plain, having done so well. At 2.30 p. m., the little town 
was left behind. Sixty-three kilometers now separated us 
frona Poitiers. We passed through several snow storms on 
our way, but made no stop at Poitiers. We continued our 
route to Chatellerault, 31 kilometers north, where we arrived 
at 4.15, stopping for the night at the Hotel Nouvelle, a clean 
and up-to-date hostehy. 

This terminated the day's run of 261 kilometers, covered 
in 4 hours and 30 minutes. While the road is perfect, the 
country is uninteresting. It was, perhaps, more so to us 
who during the past few weeks in a country we had for the 
first time passed through had enjoyed so many beautiful 
landscapes. 

[ 330 ] 




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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15, 1911 

We left Chatellerault at 8.15 a. m. The sky was clear as 
far as Tours, but here a severe snow storm overtook us. We 
had made good time, in spite of the fact that the road was 
clogged with peasants driving to market; the 72 kilometers 
separating the towns having been- traversed in just one hour. 

At Tours we once more diverged from the regular route 
to Paris, and followed the River Loire through Blois to 
Orleans. Snow kept us company most of the way, and it 
was hard work, at times, to make out one's route. We 
passed through Blois at 10.40, having skirted the chateaux 
of Amboise and Chaumont on our way. The combination 
of bad weather and lack of time made us rush on without 
stopping for the usual visit. 

At 11.35, the streets of Orleans were entered, and a few 
minutes later we were partaking of lunch at the Hotel Ter- 
minus, a clean and decent-looking place. 

The morning's run of 182 kilometers had been traversed 
in 3 hours and 20 minutes. One hundred and twenty kilo- 
meters still separated us from Paris, the last stage of our 
long journey. 

At 12.50, we were on the Route National. Artenay, 
Etampes and Longjumeau were all passed in rapid succes- 
sion, and 2.40 found us at the gates of the old city. 

The road is fine the entire way. Cobbles, which in the past 
I have always avoided, I found here smooth and well laid. 

W^e skirted several snow storms on the way, but in some 
marvelous way escaped them all. 

The day's run of 302 kilometers was covered in 5 hours 
and 10 minutes. Our total trip from Nice of 4,703 kilometers 
was covered in 123 hours, with but three mishaps — two 
punctured tires and one set of broken springs. 

[ 333 ] 



DEC 23 ^S11 



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